Maryland Lawmakers to Return for Special Session on Congressional Redistricting in August

Maryland lawmakers will be returning to Annapolis the first week of August for a special session to consider congressional redistricting. Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk made the announcement Tuesday. Currently of the 8 US House seats in Maryland, 7 are held by Democrats. Governor Moore says his administration will work closely with the General Assembly as they consider legislation that gives the state the “tools necessary to protect voters and defend fair representation.”

Read Governor Moore’s full statement on the special session in August:

“For months, I have said that inaction is not an option and we cannot sit on the sidelines while voting rights, fair representation, and the foundations of our democracy come under attack across the country. I appreciate the General Assembly’s continued conversations and the agreement to come back to finish the work.

“Across the country, we are watching coordinated efforts to weaken voting rights, dilute Black representation, and bend the rules of democracy for partisan gain — at the very moment when core protections of the Voting Rights Act have been gutted and the right to fair representation is under assault. Until we have national redistricting reform, Maryland will not be caught flat-footed.

“My administration will work closely with the General Assembly as they consider legislation to ensure our state has the tools necessary to protect voters and defend fair representation. We are going to stay ready, stay focused, and make sure every Marylander has a voice in the future of our state.”

Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey and Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready today responded to the announcement by Governor Moore, Senate President Ferguson, and House Speaker Peña-Melnyk that they will call a special session of the General Assembly the first week in August – the sole purpose of which would be to rewrite the state constitution and eliminate the guardrails that currently govern how congressional districts are drawn, clearing the way to eliminate Maryland’s only Republican voice in Congress.

Marylanders are struggling with a rising cost of living, skyrocketing energy costs, and growing questions about whether they can afford to stay in this state. Gas prices are going up. The bond rating is going down. And Governor Moore’s answer is to call lawmakers back to Annapolis — not to address any of those concerns, but to gut the state constitution and hand Washington a congressional seat that Maryland voters never gave them.

“Governor Moore is dragging lawmakers back to Annapolis in the middle of summer to rewrite the state constitution and silence the last dissenting voice in Maryland’s congressional delegation,” said Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey. “This has nothing to do with Maryland’s future and everything to do with his own. Marylanders are watching their bills go up and their options go down, and his response is to spend political capital on a Washington power play. That is not leadership. That is an abdication of it.”

The proposal would strip from the state constitution language requiring that congressional districts be compact and take into account natural boundaries and county lines — standards a court relied upon in 2022 to throw out a Democratic gerrymander. Rather than accept that outcome, Democratic leaders are moving to eliminate the standards themselves.

“When you don’t like the rules, you change them. That’s the Maryland Democratic playbook,” said Senate Minority Whip Justin Ready. “They already hold seven of eight congressional seats. One Republican Congressman represents hundreds of thousands of Marylanders who deserve a voice in Washington. This special session is designed to erase that voice and hand national Democrats another seat in the U.S. House. It has nothing to do with governing Maryland and everything to do with Governor Moore’s national ambitions.”

Senate Republicans will introduce legislation during the special session to address the real concerns of Maryland families, including proposals to provide relief on energy costs, vehicle fees, and the financial pressures driving Marylanders out of the state.

“If you’re going to call us back, use the opportunity to solve real problems,” Hershey said. “Senate Republicans will come to Annapolis ready to act on the kitchen table issues that Marylanders are actually losing sleep over. We hope the Governor and his allies will join us. But we won’t hold our breath.”

The record is clear. Senate Republicans introduced the Fair Districts for Maryland Act in November 2025, a concrete proposal for a bipartisan commission and a process free from partisan manipulation. Democratic leaders chose to bury it.

“We have offered a better path at every turn,” Ready said. “A fair process. A bipartisan commission. Maps drawn on merit, not politics. Democrats have refused it every time. Now they want to rewrite the constitution to make sure they never have to answer for it. Marylanders deserve better.”

House Republicans issued the following comments in response to the announcement of a Special Session for partisan gerrymandering.

“I think it is very telling, as Marylanders struggle to pay their skyrocketing energy bills, higher taxes, and higher fees – all foisted upon them by the failed policies of the Democratic majority,  that same Democratic majority is calling a Special Session not to help Marylanders, but to play another round of national political games,” said House Minority Leader Jason Buckel. “It is abundantly clear where their priorities lie, and, unfortunately, it is not with the citizens of Maryland.”

“It is absolutely shameful that the Annapolis political machine is willing to expend so much time and energy disenfranchising more than a million Republican voters in this state,” said House Minority Whip Jesse Pippy. “It certainly flies in the face of Governor Moore’s motto of “leave no one behind”.

As the likelihood of a Special Session increased in May, House Republicans pledged not only to fight against partisan gerrymandering but also to move forward with affordability legislation creating a 30-day gas tax holiday and to stop automatic gas tax increases. The gas tax just increased automatically on July 1 and, according to the Comptroller’s Office, will likely increase again next year.

“Our members remain committed to fighting against partisan gerrymandering and to fighting for affordability for Maryland’s families,” said Buckel. “Our citizens deserve more from their leaders than these political games.”