Maryland Supreme Court clears Democratic redistricting amendment for November ballot

In a Thursday ruling, the Maryland Supreme Court reversed two prior decisions that had kept a Democratic-sponsored constitutional amendment off the ballot, mandating its appearance in November and ordering a revised ballot summary. The amendment does not alter the current congressional districts for the upcoming midterms, but if voters approve it, the state could redraw those lines for later contests, giving Democrats a chance at a clean sweep in 2028.

Governor Wes Moore convened a special legislative session in August to move the proposal forward, and Attorney General Anthony Brown’s lawyers contended that a newly passed law’s certification deadlines were irrelevant because lawmakers authored their own summary. Republican legislators had argued the wording was misleading and that the amendment violated a single-subject rule, claims the court rejected aside from requiring wording changes. The change could let congressional districts cross the Chesapeake Bay, affecting the seat held by Rep. Andy Harris, the lone Republican from Maryland and chair of the House Freedom Caucus.