Senate President Bill Ferguson

By Zak Failla From Daily Voice

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson says the chamber will not move forward with mid-cycle congressional redistricting, calling the potential risks “too high” and the possible consequences for Democrats “catastrophic.”

In a letter sent to members of his caucus, Ferguson said that after consulting with senators, he concluded that “the Senate is choosing not to move forward with mid-cycle congressional redistricting.”

He cited several reasons — legal uncertainty, potential election delays, and the risk of triggering wider partisan retaliation across the country.

“Despite deeply shared frustrations about the state of our country, mid-cycle redistricting for Maryland presents a reality where the legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined,” Ferguson wrote.

Ferguson said the decision came amid mounting national pressure on states to redraw maps before the 2026 elections. 

“Nationwide, we are in a fight for democracy and redistricting is at the core of this fight because of President Trump’s actions,” he wrote. “States like Texas and North Carolina are responding to Trump’s incessant demands that they redistrict to rig the election results against Democrats.”

He said that while he understands the pressure to “fight back,” Maryland’s risks outweigh its potential rewards. 

“The risk of redrawing the congressional map in Maryland is too high,” Ferguson wrote, “making the unlikely possibility that we gain a seat not worth pursuing.”

Ferguson referenced the 2022 court battle over Maryland’s previous map, when a circuit court struck it down as “a product of extreme partisan gerrymandering.” 

He noted that the current congressional map has never been reviewed by the state’s highest court — meaning reopening it could expose Maryland to fresh legal challenges.

“That means that any redrawing of the current map could reopen the ability for someone to challenge the current map and give the court the opportunity to strike it down, or even worse, redraw the map itself,” Ferguson wrote.

He also noted that under the current system, “we have certainty under the current map; that evaporates the moment we start down the path of redistricting mid-cycle with an unclear legal landscape and an even more unclear legal timeline.”

Ferguson warned that attempting to redraw congressional lines ahead of the 2026 election cycle could cause significant delays. 

Based on previous litigation timelines, he said a new map “would have ramifications on the 2026 election,” likely pushing back both filing deadlines and the June primary.

“The length of those delays is very dependent on how quickly the local boards of election could implement a new map after all legal challenges are settled, which almost certainly means additional weeks of a delay, if not months,” he wrote.

Ferguson also pointed to national consequences if Maryland — a Democratic-led state — chose to redraw its districts. 

Quoting a New York Times report from August 2025, he said Republican states could potentially redistrict “20 more seats” than Democratic ones, giving the GOP a structural advantage.

He warned that if Maryland acted, it could spur Republican-led states to follow suit. “If Maryland redistricts, Republican-led states that were not planning to do so will,” Ferguson wrote. “That means that Maryland’s potential gain of one seat is immediately eliminated, and, in fact, worsens the national outlook.”

Ferguson also cited concerns raised by Illinois’ Legislative Black Caucus about racial gerrymandering, saying Maryland must uphold “the principle of fairness.”

“It is hypocritical to say that it is abhorrent to tactically shift voters based on race, but not to do so based on party affiliation,” he said.

He added that Maryland has “long fought against racial gerrymandering” and noted that the Senate passed a state-level Voting Rights Act last session.

In his closing section, Ferguson said he was “personally concerned” about what mid-cycle redistricting could mean for “the resilience and trust in democracy.”

“It is true that I believe that mid-cycle redistricting in Maryland twists rules for potential short-term advantage while undermining trust in institutions and ultimately, democracy,” he wrote. “Simply put, it is too risky and jeopardizes Maryland’s ability to fight against the radical Trump Administration.”

“At a time where every seat in Congress matters, the potential for ceding yet another one to Republicans here in Maryland is simply too great,” he said.

Ferguson ended his letter by urging lawmakers to focus on policy, not politics. 

“Instead of being subsumed by redistricting, we should focus on policies that will tangibly improve the lives of Marylanders in the face of this federal onslaught and demonstrate the power of states in checking a lawless president,” he wrote.

“I look forward to the policies we will pass in the 2026 legislative session to protect access to healthcare, ensure fair elections, support our immigrant neighbors, and so much more.”