Maryland Lawmakers Expected To Approve New Congressional Map

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Democratic lawmakers are expected to give final approval to a new congressional map Wednesday that would likely preserve a 7-1 advantage, five days after a judge struck down the first Democratic-drawn map this redistricting cycle for diluting the voice of Republican voters.

The General Assembly, which is controlled by Democrats, have been scrambling to approve a new map for the state's eight U.S. House districts after Judge Lynne Battaglia ordered a new one to be drawn by Wednesday. The judge has scheduled a hearing for Friday to consider a new plan.

The new map makes the congressional districts more compact, but Republican lawmakers contend it's still riddled with unfair partisan gerrymandering.

In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1, Democrats hold a 7-1 advantage in the U.S. House. The map approved in December by a panel of lawmakers added Democrats to the lone Republican-held district, making a more competitive race for Republican Rep. Andy Harris. It also created the potential for Democrats to go 8-0 in Maryland.

The new map would remove a portion that stretched Harris' Eastern Shore district across the Chesapeake Bay into an area with more Democrats and would restore GOP strength in the 1st Congressional District.

So far courts have intervened to block maps they found to be GOP gerrymanders in North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The Maryland House advanced a measure Wednesday with a new map already approved by the Senate, and a final vote was expected to send the map to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan later in the day.

In her 94-page ruling, Battaglia described initial map as "product of extreme partisan gerrymandering." She found it violated the state constitutional requirement that legislative districts consist of adjoining territory and be compact in form, with due regard for natural boundaries and political subdivisions. It also violated the state constitution's free elections, free speech and equal protection clauses, she said.

Senate President Bill Ferguson and House Speaker Adrienne Jones have said the new map is contingent on the loss of an appeal of the judge's ruling. So far, however, the attorney general's office has not announced an appeal.

Hogan, who has long been critical of how the state's political boundaries have been drawn, has been pushing for the adoption of a map by a panel he created by executive order. The governor has said that map was written by an independent panel that took politicians out of the process of drawing districts.

Maryland's highest court already had delayed the state's primary in a big election year from June 28 to July 19. Voters will decide all 188 seats in the state legislature, open statewide offices such as governor, attorney general and comptroller, a U.S. Senate seat and all eight congressional seats.