As states push redistricting efforts, Maryland senator files his proposal to redistrict
This week, Maryland officially joined the redistricting conversation after Sen. Clarence Lam (D-Anne Arundel and Howard) filed a proposal to redraw the state's congressional districts.
Lam said this is meant to serve as a warning shot to Republicans nationally. In Maryland, several Republican lawmakers have described Lam's move as extremely partisan.
Lam's Proposal
Lam announced his proposal on Wednesday, noting it was sparked by the successful redistricting effort in Texas to give Republicans an additional five seats in the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Lam made it clear in an interview on Friday that he didn't want to do something like this, but as more states began to kickstart their own efforts -- he said it needed to happen.
"It really kinda lit a fire under us," Lam said. "We're doing this because we have to in response to President Trump's demands. That's why California took action when they did, to neutralize Texas's power grab."
Lam is proposing a map first drawn up in 2021 by the state's Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission. It splits up the state's 1st District, which is currently held by Maryland's lone Republican congressman, U.S. Rep. Andy Harris.
Lam's proposal came days after Gov. Wes Moore appeared on Face the Nation, where he said he's open to redistricting.
"When I say all options are on the table, all options are on the table," Moore said.
Lam is also seeking to create an independent redistricting commission, but only if other states do the same.
"...a transparent grab for partisan advantage."
Harris and Republican Sen. Stephen Hershey (R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's) have criticized Lam's proposal.
In a statement, Harris called the effort the "most partisan thing you could do."
"If Democrats want to roll the dice, let them roll the dice. I look forward to having more Republican colleagues from the state in Congress, and I think that's what the result is going to be," Harris's statement partly reads.
In his statement, Hershey said Lam's proposal is "reckless, shameless, and a transparent grab for partisan advantage."
Hershey's statement went on to say, "Maryland is already one of the most gerrymandered states in the country. Voters here don't need more backroom deals -- they need fair representation and a system they can trust."
The path ahead
Lam is expecting a legal battle ahead, and he expects what he's proposed will likely not be the final outcome.
Due to that, as well as the February 2026 filing deadline for candidates to run in the midterms, Lam said lawmakers need to move fast.
"This would have to be a special session, probably in October and November, for there to be sufficient time [for a new map] to be adjudicated by the courts," Lam said.
