Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) on Wednesday called on the state Senate to put forward the congressional map he favors during his State of the State speech.
Moore addressed the redistricting battle before the joint state legislature while standing next to Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson, who has been leading the charge against Democrats’ redistricting push in the state. The Maryland House passed the Democrats’ newly proposed legislative map, which would favor blue candidates in all eight districts, but the Senate has yet to advance the map because of Ferguson’s staunch opposition.
“I know there’s disagreement right now between the House and the Senate. So my ask is simple: Do not let the democratic process die in the free state. Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary. And put it to a vote,” Moore said.
The dynamic of Moore standing next to Ferguson was awkward, but Moore addressed the tension in his speech.
“Now, I know there’s been some discussion about a very principled disagreement that I have with the Senate President on redistricting. We diverge on this particular issue, but we both care about the future of our state. We both care about the future of our people, and we are going to continue to work together on the issues that we care about most, because our people are counting on us,” he said.
Ferguson has stood against his fellow Maryland Democrats’ desire to participate in the national redistricting wars by redrawing their own map since last year. Ferguson wrote to the state’s upper chamber in October, striking down Democrats’ redistricting push, citing legal risks, the tight timeline before the midterm elections, and the political risks of tampering with the state’s existing map.
Ferguson has pointed to an instance in 2022 when the state’s Supreme Court struck down a similar map that would have drawn out Maryland’s only Republican House member, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD). Ferguson wrote in his October letter 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 has continued to maintain his stance against the redistricting effort, despite pushback from his party, in the wake of the House passing the bill. He said he would rather devote his energy toward the state’s budget deficit and the economy.
“The world is uncertain, the world is crazy, and we have a limited amount of time and energy and focus, and we have to put it where it matters most,” Ferguson recently told reporters. “We’ve got to pass policies that truly and actually protect Marylanders against Trump administration.”
Moore spoke to the state’s budget during his State of the State in the context of affordability.
DIVISIONS AND LEGAL THREATS HANDICAP REDISTRICTING BID BY MARYLAND DEMOCRATS
“Once again, I’ve introduced a balanced budget with a general fund that is smaller than the previous year, and in a moment when prices are going up on everything, our proposed budget does not raise taxes or fees on the people of this State,” Moore said.
Similar to other blue-state governors, Moore has marketed the redistricting push as a way to fight back against redistricting efforts in red states, such as Texas, encouraged by the Trump administration.