Republican lawmakers on the Eastern Shore are heading into next week's special session critical of those across the aisle as leading Democrats prepare to pave a path forward for congressional redistricting.
The Maryland General Assembly will meet for a three-day special session from Monday to Wednesday. Legislators will consider adding a question to November’s general election ballot that would allow voters their say in altering the state’s procedure for congressional redistricting.
Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Prince George’s, Anne Arundel) have stated that only bills on redistricting will be discussed during the session.
The session has been criticized by Republicans as an attempt to oust Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md., 1st), the longtime congressman representing the Eastern Shore.
“If people don’t like who our current congressman is, this is not the way you go about getting rid of him,” said Del. Tom Hutchinson (R-Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico). “You do that in elections. That’s what elections are for, and that’s what is discouraging me.”
Gov. Wes Moore (D) has defended redistricting efforts as an attempt to “not let the Democratic process die in the free state.”
“Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary, and put it to a vote,” he said during his State of the State address in February.
Many Democrats see redistricting as fighting back against Republican-led states, like Texas, who have tried to adjust maps in favor of Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms.
“We can’t sit back and act like we are very pure and not part of the national discussion and not part of national solutions,” said Sen. Arthur Ellis (D-Charles) during a May press conference. “I’m glad we will have a chance to debate this issue.”
Hutchinson, on the other hand, is not buying Moore's defense.
“The governor's been relentless in wanting to make sure that he has a national presence, and he's going to use this as standing up for democracy, which is hypocrisy to say that we're standing up for democracy by trying to redistrict the lone Republican out of District 1,” he said.
Hutchinson said this is not what his constituents are concerned about, calling it a case of “mixed up priorities” by the Democratic Party.
Harris has similarly criticized redistricting efforts, calling out Moore for trying to “take away (Eastern Shore) representation in Congress.”
His opponent, Talbot County resident Dan Schwartz (D), has taken a different stance on redistricting than most Democrats. In a statement, Schwartz said he's focused on winning a fair fight in this November's election.
“In the end, we need to flip the House and ban partisan gerrymandering at the Federal level because people are fed up with politicians picking their voters and only answering to the extremes,” Schwartz's statement read. “The people of this district are focused on trying to make ends meet, not this.”
Sen. Johnny Mautz (R-Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico) called the session “a decision already made,” evident of “the intent of the Democratic Party to eliminate all Republican representatives.”
He also invoked an infamous 1991 incident in which the governor at the time referred to the Eastern Shore as a “s*** house.”
“It’s clear that that attitude has not left,” Mautz said. “ ... I expect that we will not be given an opportunity to speak. I expect there to be limited rules for input. I expect there to be very limited deliberation. I expect this to be a quintessential railroad.”
Rep. Chris Adams (R-Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, Wicomico) said: “Annapolis is choosing to play politics instead of taking positive action to help Marylanders.”
Adams stressed the session is out of touch with what constituents want, focusing on redistricting as a cover for anti-Republican bias moving into an election.
“I can't even comment on the subject of the district map because that's not going to be the subject of this particular matter,” Adams said. “It does feel like politics. It's like, instead of showing action, it's just doing things that you know some people in Maryland find popular, which is a general dislike for the Republican representatives in Washington D.C.”
Ferguson, the Senate president who opposed redistricting during this year's legislative session and effectively blocked Moore and Peña-Melnyk's appeal to push it through for 2026, has come around on it since.
“After recent court decisions weakened the federal Voting Rights Act and created new uncertainty around congressional redistricting, Maryland needs a clear legal path forward,” Ferguson said in a statement after the special session was announced, according to Maryland Matters. “This special session will allow the General Assembly to do its part while ensuring that Maryland voters make the final decision.”
Southern Maryland News reporter Ilana Williams contributed to this story.