BALTIMORE — Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced the creation of a commission on redistricting, drawing criticism from Republican leaders who called the mid-cycle redistricting process "bogus and rigged."
WATCH: Governor Moore creates redistricting commission amid Republican opposition
The Democratic governor defended his decision during a recent interview, emphasizing his commitment to fair electoral maps ahead of next November's elections.
"Well, it's the first step of continuing to hear from the people, and what my commitment is, is that we are going to make sure that come next November that Maryland has fair maps," Moore said.
When asked about Republican concerns that current maps hinder their congressional representation, Moore challenged GOP leaders to support his bipartisan approach.
"I think then the Republicans should support democracy and they should support my process and my emphasis of saying that we want to have a bipartisan commission to be able to listen to the people and make sure that the people's will is heard and then when the people are speaking and saying that they wanna have fair maps, throughout this process, then that's exactly what we will deliver here in the state of Maryland," Moore said.
Republican Senate leaders Steve Hershey and Justin Ready issued a joint statement criticizing the governor's initiative.
"It's designed to suppress competition and protect entrenched political power. The Governor's appointments make that clear, as he once again turns to partisan loyalists rather than neutral arbiters of fairness," Hershey and Ready said.
The redistricting effort has received support from Senate President Bill Ferguson, who opposes mid-cycle redistricting but backs Moore's commission.
With time constraints looming for implementing new maps, Moore indicated he would consider calling a special legislative session if necessary.
"I'm clear to the people of the state of Maryland that I will never take a special session off the table. But that is the right that I have as the governor," Moore said.
During the interview, Moore also addressed the ongoing federal government shutdown, stating that Maryland faces the most severe impact of any state since the shutdown began. The governor declared a state of emergency and allocated $10 million to food banks, houses of worship and schools, followed by an additional $62 million for SNAP recipients.
When asked about Maryland's continued financial support if the shutdown extends through the holidays, Moore said he would continue monitoring the situation and providing necessary assistance.
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