ANNAPOLIS, Md. (7News) — Maryland’s congressional district map is one of the most convoluted in the country with distant blobs joined by narrow corridors. Governor Larry Hogan says it was unapologetically designed over the decades by Democratic governors and legislators to help their party keep a firm grip on power.
Hogan says that “Has resulted in giving Maryland the unfortunate distinction of having the worst most gerrymandered districts in America.”
As the first Republican governor ever in Maryland during a post census redistricting, Hogan is now proposing a radically simplified map. It was created by a bipartisan citizen commission he appointed and presented to the governor Friday.
Gone are the convoluted lines which gather or exclude precincts based on party majority. “These fair maps show districts which are geographically compact, that does not take into account how citizens are registered to vote, how they voted in the past or what political party if any they happen to belong to,” says Hogan. Hogan will now submit the new maps which also redistrict state Senate and House districts.
The only problem for Hogan is the Democrat supermajority House and Senate will have the final say during a rare special session he has called for December 6. On Friday when 7 News showed House Speaker Adrienne Jones the maps, she was less than enthusiastic. “Well this is what it is, their recommended map,” she said.
Jones points out the Huse and Senate are drawing up their own maps although none has been shared publicly yet. “The only thing I can say is we haven’t finished our process yet,” said the speaker.
Hogan is already suggesting that if his maps are tossed the matter will end up before the Maryland Court of Appeals, where he has appointed 5 of the 7 judges.
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