BALTIMORE — As the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Commission prepares to hear testimony from Marylanders on whether they want the Congressional maps to be redistricted, we're taking an in focus look at how we got to our current maps.
How it started
Every ten years, following the Census mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the states have to redraw their Congressional districts to make sure each district in a state has as close to an equal number of people as possible.
Going into the 2020 Census, the Maryland congressional map looked like this:
The 2020 Census found that the population of the state of Maryland increased by more than 400,000 people since the 2010 Census, according to the Maryland Department of Planning.
While most counties showed population gains, Baltimore City saw a drop of more than 35,000 people. Allegany, Garrett, Kent, Talbot, Dorchester, and Wicomico Counties all saw decreases in population as well.
MCRC Map
In January 2021, then-Governor Larry Hogan signed an executive order creating the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission to come up with plans and maps, including for the Congressional districts.
The group was comprised of three Republicans, three Democrats, and three independents.
They were directed to draw the lines "without regard to the interests of any party or candidate and without taking into account the place of residence of any incumbent officeholder or other potential candidate."
The Maryland Citizen Redistricting Commission, or MCRC, came up with the following map:
The MCRC delivered the maps to Gov. Hogan in November 2021, about a month before a special session was called to redraw the maps.
“We want to make sure that the people of Maryland are actually the ones drawing the lines---not the politicians or the party bosses so instead of politicians picking their voters, the citizens will actually get to pick their representatives,” said Hogan in 2021.
LRAC Map
Meanwhile, the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission, known as LRAC, was also coming up with maps.
The group was made up of lawmakers, mainly Democrats, with one Republican from each chamber.
They voted in late November to approve this map to the General Assembly during the special session:
As you can see with the shading based on party lean, data provided at the time by FiveThirtyEight, the MCRC map would have provided two solidly Republican districts, whereas the LRAC map would have made the 1st Congressional District, held then and now by Republican Andy Harris, more competitive.
Special Session 2021
The LRAC map was proposed and heavily debated in the December special session.
Republicans in both the House of Delegates and Senate tried to amend the proposed map by switching it out for the MCRC map.
READ MORE: Debate continues over redrawing of Maryland's Congressional maps
"There are a million ways to draw a map," said then-Del. Eric Luedtke during the debate over the map. "The[re is] longstanding practice in redistricting of trying to make sure we don't arbitrarily move millions of people around congressional districts."
At the time, we spoke to Helen Brewer of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, which had given the LRAC map an "F" rating (and the MCRC map an "A" rating).
She told us that not moving people around congressional districts was "not a common or really traditional redistricting criteria."
During debate in the Senate, then-Senator Edward Reilly (R) said, "It is my opinion that this map is designed to make it 8-0 [in favor of Democrats]."
"I don't find it surprising that the winning side thinks these maps are fair," said Republican Sen. Bryan Simonaire.
"There is no way to make a perfect map," said Democratic Senator Nancy King.
The LRAC map passed the General Assembly and went to the Governor's desk.
Veto and Override
"This map.. makes a mockery of our democracy," said Gov. Larry Hogan as he vetoed the map. "These gerrymandered maps will be challenged in both the federal and state courts."
The legislature, with a supermajority of Democrats, quickly voted to override the veto.
An In Focus look at how Maryland got its current congressional map
Legal Challenge
In late December, Del. Kathy Szeliga (R), along with other plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against the State Board of Elections, arguing that the new map violated the Maryland Constitution because it was gerrymandered.
In March, a judge agreed with Szeliga, and the map was struck down, saying "the voice of Republican voters was diluted and their right to vote and be heard with the efficacy of a Democratic voter was diminished."
The judge gave lawmakers just a few days to come up with new maps.
Current Map
They quickly moved to propose this map and send it to Governor Hogan:
Gov. Hogan signed the map into law.
"This map is a huge step in the right direction," he said, adding, "It's not perfect."