Maryland Voters Set to Decide Redistricting Question as Moore Campaigns

Maryland voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to change the state constitution so congressional district lines no longer have to follow natural boundaries. Governor Wes Moore, who is expected to win a second term that same day, has shifted his campaign advertising to push passage of the measure.

The effort to change the map started last year. State Democrats drew new congressional lines in 2021, but a state judge threw the map out in 2022. Moore and Democratic leaders in Annapolis tried again this year to redraw districts, arguing they could construct all eight seats to favor Democrats. Senate President Bill Ferguson, also a Democrat, stopped the push, saying a majority of senators did not support it.

In August, Ferguson and other legislative Democrats moved to place a measure before voters that would remove the requirement for districts to follow features like the Chesapeake Bay. The state's lone Republican House member, Andy Harris, represents a district based on the Eastern Shore. After a legal challenge, Maryland's Supreme Court allowed the question to appear on the ballot with wording rewritten by state judges.

A UMBC poll released this month found 53% of likely voters planned to vote against the measure, including 42% of Democrats, 74% of Republicans and 59% of unaffiliated voters. Mileah Kromer, who directs the UMBC Institute of Politics, said her survey used plain language rather than the ballot's legal wording and still found opposition across both parties. Her survey was conducted before groups backing and opposing the measure began spending heavily on television, digital and physical advertising.

Spending picked up after the poll. Fight Back MD, which supports the measure, spent $550,000 on television ads this month, according to AdImpact. Moore's campaign put $700,000 into an ad last week featuring state Democratic leaders, then spent another $500,000 on Monday on an ad with former President Barack Obama asking voters to back Question 3. Ferguson has not appeared in those ads, and his communications director, David Schuhlein, said Ferguson "is primarily focused on retaining our Democratic state Senate seats and also trying to build on that and gain one or two more in a couple of districts throughout the state."

Moore has declined to commit to serving a full second term if he wins. At a gubernatorial debate this month against GOP candidate Dan Cox, he said, "I would not be running for re-election if I was not committed to the people of Maryland." Michael Hanmer, who directs the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland, said opponents would use a failed measure against Moore: "Look at the makeup of your state. You couldn't get this? It was just one; you couldn't flip one?"

Election Day is Nov. 3.