Maryland's House of Delegates on Tuesday approved a constitutional amendment aimed at clarifying the state's redistricting rules, a move that could bolster Democratic control over future congressional maps. The 96-38 vote sends House Bill 2100 to the Senate, where a parallel version is under consideration in the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee.
If the Senate passes the measure by Wednesday, it will appear on the ballot in the next general election. The amendment would give the General Assembly authority to grant the Maryland Supreme Court original jurisdiction over congressional redistricting plans, and it would clarify that certain constraints imposed by a 2022 court decision apply only to state legislative districts, not congressional ones.
House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk, a Democrat, emphasized that the legislation does not redraw any districts or affect the 2026 election. "It simply clarifies Maryland law and gives voters the opportunity to decide whether our Constitution should provide the same legal framework available to other states as they confront the realities of congressional redistricting," she said in a statement.
The proposal comes as Democrats already hold seven of Maryland's eight U.S. House seats, but party leaders are eyeing the possibility of securing the entire delegation. Republicans, who are in the minority in both chambers, broadly oppose the plan, but the Democratic majority makes passage likely.
This effort follows a failed attempt earlier this year to redraw the state's congressional map mid-decade. Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat, had convened a redistricting commission to explore changes, but the legislation stalled in the Senate despite pressure from national Democrats.
The Maryland moves are part of a broader national battle over district lines. Republicans have used redistricting to their advantage in states like Texas, while Democrats have responded in California, fueling an arms race that could shape control of the U.S. House for years. With Republicans holding a slim 218-213 majority, Democrats need only a net gain of three seats in November to flip the chamber, making every redistricting decision critical.
The amendment's path to the ballot is tight, but if approved by voters, it could set a precedent for how other states handle congressional redistricting disputes. The Senate is expected to take up the bill in the coming days.
