The Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously Monday to send a letter to Maryland leaders in support of their proposed mid-decade congressional redistricting.
In the letter, the council wrote that the county has been negatively affected by the Trump administration and would benefit from a statewide effort to redraw district lines. The letter comes as state legislatures across the country attempt to draw new, partisan congressional maps in a way that maintains or gains seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Maryland’s only Republican member of Congress, Andy Harris could lose his seat in the House if the proposed redistricting takes place.
Maryland rejoined the redistricting conversation earlier this month when Gov. Wes Moore announced the revival of a bipartisan redistricting advisory commission. The commission is chaired by former Prince George’s County executive Sen. Angela Alsobrooks.
“As conversations about mid-decade redistricting unfold across the nation, Maryland has a responsibility to lead by example,” the letter from the council reads. “With no prohibition on mid-decade redistricting in Maryland, the stakes are simply too high for inaction. Fair representation is the foundation for restoring equity and ensuring resources reach every jurisdiction in Maryland.”
[Gov. Wes Moore starts Maryland redistricting efforts amid national voter map battle]
The state’s redistricting commission historically meets every decade to redraw congressional maps to reflect census results, but Moore, a Democrat, said in a news release last week it’s necessary to revive the commission now so that Maryland has “fair and representative maps.”
The commission will solicit feedback on Maryland’s current map and hold public hearings. It will then make recommendations to Moore and the state legislature to improve the current map, according to the news release.
The letter urged the General Assembly to move forward with the commission’s recommendations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The letter was sent to Moore, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County). Moore and Jones support the mid-decade redistricting in Maryland, while Ferguson has been the primary Democratic opponent of the effort.
[Maryland to face nearly $1.4 billion budget deficit in 2026 legislative session]
The senate president has said redistricting could have catastrophic risks for Democrats, including potentially paving the way for more Republican-led states to redraw their own congressional districts. After Moore announced the revival of the commission, Ferguson reiterated his concerns but wrote on social media that the Maryland Senate will participate in the process to gain community input.
Texas Republicans kicked off mid-decade redistricting this summer when its state legislature approved a new congressional map that could position Republicans to gain five new House seats. Democrats quickly countered.
Californians earlier this month voted on a ballot measure in a statewide referendum to approve a new map that could flip as many as five Republican-held seats to Democrats.
Four other states — Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah — have already implemented new congressional maps this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Indiana and Virginia are also currently undertaking redistricting.
