Supporters of mid-decade redistricting in Maryland showed up in force for a virtual meeting of a state advisory commission Friday, calling on state leaders to redo congressional maps to oppose President Donald Trump (R).
It was the third hearing of the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission and the third different outcome: Redistricting opponents dominated the first hearing and the second was nearly evenly split. Redistricting proponents dominated Friday’s meeting, thanks to a slew of climate and civil rights advocates, union leaders, a few retired federal employees and even a high school student.
Also joining the chorus was Bobby LaPin, the Maryland social media personality who has announced his intention to run against Senate President Bill Ferguson (D- Baltimore City), a commission member who opposes mid-cycle redistricting.
The commission will meet at least once more, on Dec. 12, to hear public comment.
The redistricting saga began with Trump urging Republican-led states to redistrict for partisan gain before the 2026 elections, to pick up GOP seats in Congress. Red states that have passed new maps so far include Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina. Democrats in California and Virginia have fired back with maps of their own.
The clock is ticking for Maryland to decide whether it will join the redistricting fray, with the filing deadline for the 2026 election on Feb. 24. The General Assembly convenes on Jan. 14, but it remains unclear whether Gov. Wes Moore (D) will call a special legislative session to address the matter sooner.
The opposition of Ferguson, and by extension his chamber, is a significant barrier for the governor’s effort.
LaPin, who has not yet filed to run against Ferguson, seems to be making the issue a centerpiece for his campaign. During his remarks, the Baltimore charter sailboat captain held up a copy of “Project 2025,” a roadmap that he believes Trump is following to concentrate power in the executive branch.
“We have witnessed where this got us: asked police taking away our neighbors, the U.S. military occupying American cities, science being overridden, civil servants being threatened — basically rights stripped away with just the stroke of a pen,” LaPin said.
“We have the power in Maryland to be one of the states that answers back,” he said.
That view was echoed by more than two dozen other speakers Friday. Though many said they would oppose gerrymandering under normal circumstances, they viewed Trump’s effort as an extraordinary assault on voting rights — requiring an extraordinary response.
“We’re in a fight, and we have to fight back,” said Jim Schmitz, a resident of Riverdale Park. “Doing nothing in the hope that other states will notice and do nothing is only a wish. The moral high ground will not protect us.”
Ellen Hornstein, a retired attorney for the U.S. Forest Service, agreed. Hornstein said she left federal service on Trump’s inauguration date.
“I retired because I believed I could no longer uphold the rule of law in the United States. And that has proven true, and I’m doing everything I can now to fight for democracy,” Hornstein said.
Third Act Maryland, a climate advocacy group for seniors, threw its support behind the idea, and several members spoke during Friday’s meeting.
“In normal times, I would oppose any redistricting for partisan purposes, but these are far from normal times,” said Cynthia Miller, a Third Act member from Huntingtown in Calvert CountySouthern. “The dangers to our democracy, our communities and our civil liberties are real and present.”
Redistricting opponents, however, expressed concern about the implications of redrawing districts. Democrats control seven of Maryland’s eight House districts. Only District 1, which covers the Eastern Shore and sweeps westward to include portions of Baltimore and Harford counties, is held by a Republican.
Teris Pantazes, who said he lives in Baltimore County close to the Harford County line, said District 1 should stay as-is, because those Western Shore communities are similar to Eastern Shore communities. Pantazes said that if voters from Annapolis were drawn into District 1 — one potential idea — he would feel it an effort to “minimize my voice.”
“I’ve heard some people say that Annapolis has the water economy, and it’s a lot like people on the Eastern Shore. Annapolis is nothing like — it has no similarities to places like Federalsburg,” Pantazes said. “Those who claim it are severely misguided.