ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland's redistricting debate is back in the spotlight, with a state senator and a candidate for state senate joining forces to push for a special legislative session to redraw the state's congressional maps.
State Senator Arthur Ellis, who is running for Congress, and state senate candidate Bobby Lapin are calling on the state to act after a Supreme Court ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Senator calls for special session to redraw the state's congressional map
Maryland currently has 7 Democrat-leaning congressional districts.
Current Map:
Democrats have considered a map that would create 8 Democrat-leaning districts, making it difficult for any Republican to win a seat in the state's federal delegation.
Map Proposed:
"While Maryland has done nothing with redistricting, while Bill Ferguson has done nothing for redistricting, other states redrew their congressional maps to steal elections."
Ellis, a sitting state senator, previously staged a protest on the Senate floor over the issue. Questions were asked at the press conference about why he did not call for a vote in the Senate Rules Committee, where he serves as vice chair.
"I knew the votes were not there to do it. The Rules Committee is made up of all the chairs of all the committees, I call them the Senate President's henchmen and henchwomen," Ellis said.
We pressed Ellis on whether redrawing the map to eliminate Republican representation is fair, noting that Republicans make up 30-40% of voters in the state.
"We love to talk about fairness, we love to talk about what is right, we love to talk about representation so even folks if this is redrawn, everyone will still be able to vote and the outcome is not certain," Ellis said.
Senate President Bill Ferguson has maintained that the risk of redrawing the maps is too great for the gain of one seat. The state constitution may also need to be amended for any new map to hold up. Without changes, the Maryland Supreme Court could take control of the map and redraw it in a way that gives Republicans an additional seat.
"In this moment in time, we have to do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't go backwards and we have to make sure we do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn't lead to a 6-2 result," Ferguson said in February.
For a special session to be called, both the House Speaker and the Senate President must agree, or the governor can call one. The Speaker has said she stands ready to redistrict. Governor Wes Moore has supported redistricting but has not called for a special session. The governor's office declined to comment on the new calls for a special session.
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