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September 21, 2025

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

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Legislative Redistricting Commission Promises Transparent Process at First Meeting

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Maryland’s General Assembly will have the final say over the state’s next set of congressional and legislative maps, and legislative leaders’ bipartisan redistricting commission held its first meeting Tuesday evening.

The Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission, convened by Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County), will conduct public hearings before proposing congressional and legislative maps. Karl Aro, former executive director of the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services, is the commission’s chair.

The Department of Legislative Services will be responsible for drawing maps based on the commission’s input, Aro said. He said the map drafts will be confidential until the commission is ready to release its proposal to the public.

Jodie Chilson of the Department of Legislative Services said that any member of the General Assembly will be able to request a map be drawn.

“Any request that comes to us for that would be confidential even with respect to the commission,” Chilson said. “Once the map is drawn and you get it, you can do with it what you want, but as we’re drawing it that would be confidential.”

The departments of Planning and Legislative Services finalized data to be used for redistricting on Tuesday, Legislative Services Senior Policy Analyst Michelle Davis told members of the panel. The U.S. Census data used for redistricting was released last month, but state officials needed to adjust that data to comply with Maryland law, which requires that incarcerated people are counted as residents of their known address. She said that data will be available to the public soon.

Senate Minority Leader Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel), a member of the panel, pressed for a bipartisan map-drawing process, and said he hopes commission members work together when it comes to creating a single, cohesive map.

“We’re not in the majority and don’t pretend to be there, but I would like to be included as opposed to Republicans going off and doing their maps, Democrats going off and doing their maps,” he said.

Simonaire noted that after the 2010 Census, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) created a redistricting commission to conduct public hearings, but according to depositions from the Benisek v. Lamone case, most map-drawing during that process was done away from the public eye by political operatives and incumbents.

“We ended up with some of the worst maps in the nation … especially on the congressional side,” Simonaire said.

Aro said he hopes the legislative commission will produce a map that makes people feel that their communities are largely kept whole, but warned that some areas will likely have to be split due to how complex the process is. He likened redistricting to “doing brain surgery with a sledge hammer.”

“My hope too is that the geography will look, for lack of a better word, prettier,” Aro said. “It should. I imagine we’ll just have to work our way through it.”

Ferguson said public input will be “absolutely essential” to the commission’s work and pledged a transparent process.

“We will have a fair and transparent process, and in order for that to happen we need to hear from the public,” Ferguson said.

Jones likewise underscored the importance of public input.

“For those Marylanders watching this online, we are asking you to show up at our hearings, write us letters, and send us your ideas,” Jones said. “We are listening.”

Jones also acknowledged that the redistricting debate likely won’t end when the General Assembly adopts maps.

“There’s a good chance that these maps will end up in court,” she said. “That is the nature of redistricting. We will follow the advice of counsel at every step, making sure that the rights of all Marylanders are protected.”

The Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission will conduct region-based and statewide public hearings in the coming months, and will kick off with a public hearing in Prince George’s County on Monday, Sept. 20. The location of that meeting wasn’t immediately available, but the meeting will be live streamed.

Other lawmakers on the commission are Senate President Pro Tempore Melony Griffith (D-Prince George’s), House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke (D-Montgomery) and House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany).

The Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission is one of two panels tasked with conducting public hearings and drawing up a proposed set of congressional and legislative maps in the coming months: Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) created the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission earlier this year to create maps that he will propose to the General Assembly.

That commission includes three Republicans, three Democrats and three unaffiliated voters, and completed one round of public hearings before the release of U.S. Census data in August.

Hogan plans to introduce both the congressional and legislative maps that are drawn by the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission. The governor is required to introduce legislative maps, but statutes are silent on who is responsible for introducing congressional maps. The General Assembly is allowed to make changes to those maps and draw their own.

While both commissions are tasked with drawing up maps, the ultimate authority for mapmaking in Maryland rests with the General Assembly, where Democrats hold a veto-proof majority in both the House of Delegates and the Senate.

Hogan can veto only congressional maps, although lawmakers easily overrode his vetoes on such measures as police and education reform during the 2021 legislative session. He can’t veto the General Assembly’s legislative maps, but his proposed maps would become law if the General Assembly doesn’t pass a redistricting plan within the first half of the 2022 legislative session.

At a media briefing ahead of the legislative panel’s first meeting Tuesday, Simonaire and Buckel reiterated their support for Hogan’s Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission.

“The best way to do redistricting is in a bipartisan or nonpartisan fashion, letting the citizens drive the redistricting process rather than the politicians in the back room,” Buckel said.

Simonaire previously predicted that the legislative commission’s final vote would come down to a party-line split. He said Tuesday that he remains “skeptical” of the legislative redistricting commission.

Congressional maps could be adopted by the General Assembly later this year, with legislative leaders considering a special session in December to tackle congressional redistricting.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Mia Mason Withdraws, Endorses Heather Mizeur In 1st District Race

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Mia Mason, the veteran who challenged Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R) in 2020, endorsed former Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D) to take on Maryland’s lone congressional Republican Tuesday.

Mason secured the Democratic nomination to take on Harris in 2020 and had planned to run against him again in 2022, but recently dropped out of the race to focus on her family.

R. David Harden, a foreign policy strategist, is also seeking the Democratic nomination in the district.

Mia Mason

Mason threw her support behind Mizeur in a Tuesday Inside Out LGBT Radio interview, according to a press release.

“I have had a chance to witness Heather Mizeur up close and behind the scenes,” Mason said. “While we were competitors in this primary, she always shared my values of friendship and collaboration together, staying focused on our common goal of defeating Andy Harris and showing me and my wife extraordinary kindness and encouragement.”

Mason, a U.S. Army veteran, secured the Democratic nomination and ran against Harris last year, taking 36.4% of the vote against Maryland’s lone congressional Republican in the Nov. 3, 2020 election. Mizeur praised Mason as a “pillar of grit, determination, courage, and selfless sacrifice” in a Tuesday release.

Mason joins a slew of high-profile Maryland politicians in endorsing Mizeur, including U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D), U.S. Reps. Jamie B. Raskin (D) and Anthony G. Brown (D), State Treasurer Nancy Kopp (D), Baltimore County Executive John A. Olszewski Jr. (D), and former 1st District Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R).

So far, Mizeur has outpaced Harris in fundraising. In the second quarter of 2021, she raised $357,000 — nearly double Harris’ $185,795, according to Federal Election Commission data. She has raised $717,445 since entering the race in January compared to the $425,122 Harris has raised in this cycle.

Mizeur reported $560,533.31 cash on hand as of June 30. Harris, who is seeking his seventh term in the House of Representatives, had more than $1.29 million cash on hand as of June 30.

Mizeur’s campaign said in a release last week that 87% of her donations from the second quarter of 2021 were from individuals who gave $100 or less. Harris has used Mizeur’s high fundraising figures in his own campaign materials. He called Mizeur a “prolific fundraiser” in a campaign letter after her strong first quarter tally.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

General Assembly Leaders Announce Legislative Redistricting Commission

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The Maryland General Assembly has launched its own commission to draw new congressional and legislative district maps.

Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) and House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) announced the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission and its members in a Thursday press release.

The bipartisan commission will be chaired by Karl Aro, the former executive director of the non-partisan Department of Legislative Services. Ferguson and Jones will also sit on the commission, alongside four other lawmakers:

  • Senate President Pro Tempore Melony Griffith (D-Prince George’s County);
  • House Majority Leader Eric Luedtke (D-Montgomery County);
  • Senate Minority Leader Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel County); and
  • House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany County).

Commission members will “focus on developing new map configurations to best account for Maryland’s seven percent population growth,” according to the release.

Jones and Ferguson pledged a bipartisan and transparent redistricting process in Thursday’s release. The commission will hold 10 in-person town hall meetings across the state and two virtual meetings beginning in August. Those meetings will be live-streamed, according to the release.

Jones said in the release that the commission’s goal will be to “ensure that Maryland’s representation reflects its citizens.”

“The General Assembly will pass fair maps based on the robust public engagement and feedback of this Commission,” Jones said.

Ferguson said public input will be a virtual part of the commission’s work.

“We believe it is critical to hear from those we represent, and the Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission serves as the General Assembly’s vehicle to hear from Marylanders across the State in a bipartisan and transparent manner before proposing maps for the Legislature to consider,” Ferguson said in a written statement. “The Commission is an essential step in the redistricting process to ensure fair representation for Maryland’s democracy.”

The commission’s formation comes as the multi-partisan Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission — formed by Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan (R) earlier this year to draw up maps he will propose to the General Assembly — is already conducting a round of public hearings ahead of the release of Census redistricting data.

That nine-member commission, made up of three Republicans, three Democrats and three non-affiliated voters, has held hearings for the Baltimore City and Harford and Anne Arundel Counties, the Eastern Shore and the western, northern and southern regions of the state. During those hearings, residents have repeatedly urged commission members to keep communities whole in proposed maps.

“Governor Hogan has handed over his power to a citizens advisory commission to ensure it’s the people of Maryland who are drawing the maps — not politicians or party bosses in back rooms. The citizens commission has already held several public meetings across the state, gaining direct input from Marylanders,” Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said Thursday evening.

Former Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman (R) and former state Sen. James Brochin (D-Baltimore County) – who recently formed the group Fair Maps Maryland alongside former Hogan communications strategist Doug Mayer to urge the General Assembly to adopt maps from the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission, criticized the formation of the legislative commission in a Thursday statement.

“This is real simple – politicians shouldn’t be drawing their own districts and picking their own voters, and unfortunately this new commission does exactly that,” the pair said.

Joanne Antoine, the executive director of the fair elections group Common Cause Maryland, said she would’ve liked to see members of the public on the legislative commission, but added that she was encouraged by the General Assembly’s move to hold public hearings.

“I think this is a great opportunity for Marylanders to not only provide input on their communities, but more importantly highlight how the General Assembly has failed them to some extent,” Antoine said.

Antoine had hosted a virtual Tame the Gerrymander event to promote public participation in the redistricting process just before the legislative commission was announced. Tame the Gerrymander — a coalition of advocacy organizations pushing for fair maps in Maryland — is currently mounting a campaign to get the public involved in the process.

At that event, advocates stressed that public input will be key in the state’s redistricting process, and urged Marylanders to participate. Fred McBride, a redistricting and voting rights policy specialist for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, encouraged residents to use free mapping tools like Districr to draw up their own maps and come up with concrete suggestions.

“It’s no longer something we have to sit back and watch and wait for,” McBride said, “It’s something we should be participating in.”

Antoine said in an interview that the dueling commissions may confuse residents, and said she thinks the work of both commissions will be important in the coming months.

“Ultimately the decision is in the hands of the lawmakers,” Antoine said. “The work of the (Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission) is important, and the feedback they’re collecting is just as important too, but I think the members of the General Assembly need to hear from the public.”

The maps the Citizens Redistricting Commission draws up and Hogan proposes will ultimately be subject to approval from the General Assembly, where Democrats hold a veto-proof majority in both the House of Delegates and the Senate.

Exactly what the maps drawn up by either commission will look like remains to be seen, although Hogan laid out several requirements for maps in his executive order creating the commission, including incorporating single-member districts into their proposed maps to the extent possible.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Nonprofit Group Formed to Endorse Md. Redistricting Commission Maps

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A bipartisan pair of former lawmakers that lost narrow elections in 2018 have formed a nonprofit group to pressure the General Assembly to accept new legislative and congressional district maps being drafted by a commission created by Republican Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr.

Fair Maps Maryland is the brainchild of former Hogan communications strategist Doug Mayer, former Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman (R) and former state Sen. James Brochin (D-Baltimore County). The group will push lawmakers to adopt the maps that will eventually be drawn up by the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The commission, a nine-member, multi-partisan panel created by executive order to draw up congressional and legislative maps that Hogan will propose to the General Assembly, is currently conducting public hearings ahead of the release of Census redistricting data later this summer.

The commission is still months away from drawing up maps, but Fair Maps Maryland launched Thursday to support the commission’s work. The group aims to abolish “politically motivated gerrymandering” and push for the full implementation of the commission’s “nonpartisan redistricting plan,” according to a press release.

Mayer will serve as the group’s spokesman, and Kittleman and Brochin will serve as its first two board members. All three men have ties to Hogan: Brochin endorsed the governor in 2018, arguing that challenger Ben Jealous (D) was moving the Democratic party too far to the left; Hogan appointed Kittleman to the Maryland Workers Compensation Commission after he was ousted as county executive by Calvin B. Ball III (D); and Mayer worked in the Hogan administration for years.

And although Mayer departed the Hogan administration in 2018, he has continued to work as a political strategist. He most recently headed up Marylanders for Tax Fairness, a group that opposed the new digital advertising tax and advocated against overriding a Hogan veto of that bill.

The Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission is currently undertaking a round of regional public hearings before untabulated Census redistricting data is released in August. Although the commission’s maps are months away from being drawn, Mayer said he was confident any maps the commission submits will be an improvement over the state’s current configuration.

“An overstimulated toddler could draw fairer maps on the back of a cocktail napkin,” Mayer said.

The group’s Thursday launch was accompanied by a 60-second advertisement entitled “Pop Quiz” that takes aim at Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, comparing the district’s odd shape to a fighting crab and a broken-winged pterodactyl, borrowing a phrase from a federal judge.

A website for the group also highlights the 3rd Congressional District as “a prime example of gerrymandering and the absurdities it creates.”

The Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission is Hogan’s latest bid to reform the state’s redistricting process. His previous attempts to do so through legislation have been rebuffed by the General Assembly, where Democrats hold a veto-proof majority in both the House of Delegates and Senate. Any maps that Hogan eventually proposes can ultimately be redrawn by the General Assembly.

Hogan’s executive order creating the commission laid out a slew of requirements for proposed districts. The commission’s districts must “respect natural boundaries” and, to the extent practical, keep communities whole. The districts must also be compact and comply with state, federal, judicial and constitutional requirements.

Hogan’s order further bars the commission from taking into account where incumbents and potential candidates live and the political affiliation of residents.

The executive order also requires, to the extent practicable, that the commission draw single-member districts for the House of Delegates.

Maryland is one of only a few states that currently uses both single and multi-member legislative districts — a practice that some residents have opposed during the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission’s first round of public hearings.

The commission has conducted public hearings for the northern, southern and western regions of the state, as well as the Eastern Shore since the beginning of June. Residents who have testified at those public hearings have overwhelmingly urged commission members to keep communities whole in their proposed maps, with single-member legislative districts also being a common request.

Other residents have urged the commission to be flexible and consider using both single multi-member districts.

Some have criticized Hogan’s requirements for what the commission can and cannot consider: At the commission’s public hearing for the northern Maryland region, Maryland Legislative Coalition co-leader Edward Johnson said panelists should “think outside the box”  in drawing up proposed maps and consider inviting the General Assembly to participate in the process.

“Unless you invite all stakeholders to participate and give their opinions during meetings of the commission, you are Hogan’s commission and not a bipartisan citizens commission, which should be your intention,” Johnson said.

Information about how Fair Maps Maryland is funded, and exactly how much cash the organization has, was not readily available. Mayer said the group will register as a grassroots lobbying organization in November, at which point more specific funding information will be available. He added that the organization currently has at least “six figures” in financial commitments from Marylanders.

“We’re very confident that we’ll be able to have the resources necessary to make sure Marylanders understand what’s going on with redistricting in Maryland, and why it’s important,” Mayer said.

The nonprofit group RepresentUs found that Maryland and dozens of other states are under “extreme” risk for gerrymandering in a report earlier this year. The Thursday release from Fair Maps Maryland charged that Maryland “is widely regarded as one of the worst offenders in the nation” when it comes to partisan redistricting.

Maryland’s 2012 congressional district map faced multiple court challenges and was addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court three times, ultimately cementing the justices’ stance that it is not the judiciary’s place to settle disputes over partisan gerrymandering in Maryland or other states.

“Gerrymandering not only attempts to silence political opponents, but it also discourages progress and innovation by preventing the free exchange of ideas and deepening political divisions,” Brochin said in the release. “I look forward to being part of Fair Maps Maryland and working hard so that every Marylander, in every corner of our state, can enjoy their right to free and fair elections.”

The group is also pushing for a transparent map-drawing process,  that mapmaking was largely done behind closed doors a decade ago.

“Ensuring fair electoral maps for Marylanders isn’t just about good government and serving the public in the present moment — it’s also about safeguarding our democratic processes for the future,” Kittleman said in a statement. “Over time, gerrymandering has eroded voting rights on both sides of the aisle, across our country. As Marylanders, and as Americans, we must stand up for what is right and set an example for the rest of the nation.”

The map-making process is expected to reach fever pitch in late September, when final U.S. Census bureau figures are released. The release of Census data was delayed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mayer said Fair Maps Maryland’s board will likely expand, and the group hopes to partner with “like-minded organizations” to raise awareness about the redistricting process.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Report: Harris Among GOP Congressmen to Vote Against Removing Taney Bust, Confederate Statues from Capitol

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According to a States Newsroom report:

“The U.S. House voted Tuesday to remove from the Capitol a bust of the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, a Marylander who wrote the despised Dred Scott decision—as well as evict statues and busts of men who fought for the Confederacy or served in its government.

“The legislation passed on a vote of 285-120, with all the nay votes from Republicans and 67 of them voting with Democrats. It would replace the marble bust of Taney, which is displayed outside the old Supreme Court chamber on the first floor of the Capitol, with one of the late Thurgood Marshall, a fellow Marylander who was the first Black member of the Supreme Court.

“Maryland Rep. Andrew P. Harris (R) voted against the measure; the rest of the state’s delegation supported passage of the bill, which was sponsored by House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, who represents Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.

“Taney wrote the majority opinion in 1857 in Dred Scott, a case initiated in Missouri. The ruling, which provoked intense opposition in the North, said that people of African descent were not citizens and had no right to bring suit in federal court — effectively upholding slavery.

“A similar bill passed the Democratic-controlled House last year on a bipartisan vote of 305-113, with 72 Republicans joining Democrats in support. But it did not advance in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Democrats now hold a slim majority.”

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Could First District Turn Blue? Report Offers Possible Map

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After turning the state’s Sixth Congressional District blue following the 2010 Census, Maryland Democrats could set their sights on the state’s sole remaining Republican lawmaker, Rep. Andy Harris, during the congressional redistricting that will follow the 2020 Census.

A map drawn by one political analyst shows it would be relatively easy for Democratic state lawmakers to shut out Maryland Republicans from Congress by shifting the boundaries of the state’s eight congressional districts.

David Wasserman, writing in The Cook Political Report (subscription required), said the map would result in a 35-point leftward swing for the First District. The new district would have voted for Joe Biden by 15 points in 2020; current First District voters chose Donald Trump by 20 points in the 2020 presidential race.

Wasserman is House Editor for The Cook Political Report, where he is responsible for analyzing U.S. House races and is recognized as one of the nation’s top election forecasters. He also is a contributor to NBC News.

Maryland’s other seven congressional districts would remain overwhelmingly Democratic with his map, voting for Biden by at least 20 points, Wasserman wrote in his Maryland redistricting preview and on Twitter.

Wasserman developed his map using Dave’s Redistricting App, which allows users to explore congressional redistricting options.

One Democrat who has filed to challenge Harris in the First District noted Wasserman’s analysis, but suggested opposition to such a big change.

On her campaign website, Heather Mizeur, a former state delegate and gubernatorial candidate who lives in Kent County, wrote:

“We don’t want a gerrymandered district. We want a fair district. The right answer in how it gets drawn at the end of the day is somewhere in between these extreme shifts.

“What we know for sure is that the district will be redrawn, it will get more competitive, and we are and will continue to be the campaign best positioned to defeat Andy Harris when it happens.”

The Maryland map currently in use (below) was approved in 2011 using data from the 2010 Census. A legal challenge to that map ended in 2019 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the courts have no role in partisan gerrymandering claims.

Statewide_reduced

Partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts can have dramatic effects on the party control of the House.

In the Atlas of Redistricting, Wasserman and others writing at FiveThirtyEight looked at congressional districts based on several different factors.

Their analysis showed that if districts were gerrymandered to favor Democrats, the party would be expected to have 251 seats in the House compared to 184 for Republicans. If districts were gerrymandered to favor Republicans, the GOP would be expected to have 264 seats to 171 for Democrats.

The U.S. Census Bureau, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, announced in February that redistricting data would be released to all states by Sept. 30, six months later than its April 1 deadline.

The bureau will deliver apportionment counts (which determine how many representatives each state will have) to the president by April 30, four months later than normal. Maryland is expected to maintain its eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Maryland Faces ‘Extreme’ Threat of Gerrymandering, New Report Says

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Maryland is under “extreme” risk for gerrymandering when lawmakers draw up new election districts, according to a new report from an anti-corruption watchdog group.

The Gerrymandering Threat Index from the nonprofit group RepresentUs lists Maryland, alongside 26 other states, in the highest risk category for gerrymandering. States are listed under the group’s “extreme” risk category for giving “politicians complete control over an often-secretive, poorly-protected redistricting process.”

RepresentUs considered five questions when determining a state’s threat level for gerrymandering:

  • Can politicians control how election maps are drawn?
  • Can election maps be drawn in secret?
  • Can election maps be rigged for partisan gain?
  • Are the legal standards weak?
  • And, are rigged election maps hard to challenge in court?

The report cites Maryland’s Democratic supermajority as a flag for potential gerrymandering, since the state relies on the legislature to approve maps. Maryland’s governor initially crafts congressional and legislative maps that are presented to the General Assembly. Lawmakers can pass a resolution (not subject to veto) changing the legislative districts. The Maryland Constitution sets some requirements for legislative districts, including that they must be compact and give “due regard” to jurisdictional boundaries.

Congressional district maps aren’t subject to the same restrictions under the Maryland Constitution. The governor can veto the legislature’s proposed congressional district map —but lawmakers could override a veto from Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), as they’ve done on several key pieces of legislation during the 2021 session and throughout his tenure.

Hogan has repeatedly attempted to create a bipartisan redistricting process since he took office, but his efforts have failed to pass the General Assembly. In January, he signed an executive order creating a bipartisan commission to make recommendations for the congressional and legislative maps that he will submit to the legislature ahead of the 2022 election.

Attempts to challenge the state’s congressional districts in court have also failed, with the U.S. Supreme Court declaring in 2019 that federal judges shouldn’t be the ones to settle disputes on gerrymandering.

That high court ruling came after a panel of federal judges ordered the state’s 6th Congressional District redrawn, arguing that the district had been unconstitutionally drawn to benefit Democrats.

Rep. John P. Sarbanes’ (D-Md.) omnibus election reform proposal, the For the People Act, would include a congressional redistricting overhaul and ban partisan gerrymandering. The sweeping reforms would also require states to use bipartisan, independent commissions to draw district lines.

The RepresentUs report lists the For the People Act as a “remarkable opportunity” to end federal gerrymandering.

“Ultimately, a system-wide crisis calls for a system-wide solution,” the report reads.

In all, the Gerrymandering Threat Index lists 35 states as having a high or extreme risk for partisan gerrymandering in the next round of redistricting. Two of Maryland’s neighboring states, Delaware and West Virginia, are also listed as having an “extreme” risk for gerrymandering. Pennsylvania is given a “moderate” rating, and Virginia a “low” rating.

Virginia voters last November approved a nonpartisan redistricting process.

By Bennett Leckrone

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Mizeur: Harris Stands with Violent Mob, Not Heroic Police Officers

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Heather Mizeur, Democratic candidate for Congress in Maryland’s First District, today issued the following statement in response to Rep. Andy Harris’ (R-MD) vote on awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Departments:

“Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted to award Congressional Gold Medals — one of our country’s highest civilian honors — to the Capitol Police and the DC police, in gratitude for their heroic work on January 6.

“The vote was overwhelmingly bipartisan, with 413 members voting to honor the officers who defended members of Congress and our Capitol building against insurrectionists on that terrible day.

“Andy Harris voted no.

“Maybe this shouldn’t surprise us since he refused to acknowledge the outcome of the presidential election and instead repeated the ‘Big Lie’ that incited the attack on our democracy.

“But by any measure, this is an extremist position that disgraces our district. Many of those Capitol Police officers are Marylanders. All of them are heroes.

“Harris is picking sides here, and he has chosen to stand with a violent mob of insurrectionists over those on the front lines who defended his own life that day.

“Like any true patriot who loves and will defend this country and its values, I watched the events of January 6 in horror. The anger I felt that day propelled me into this race. The anger I feel in this moment tells me it was the right decision.

“We need a change. Anger, when coupled with wise action, can fuel important transformations.

“I’m in this race to shift the culture and language of our political discourse and to give people an opportunity to vote for dignified representation that reflects the best of who we are.”

“I’ve long disagreed with Andy Harris’s priorities, but the last few months have taken that to a new level.

“While families and small businesses struggle to recover from the pandemic, he continues to prioritize this sort of extremist behavior, rather than putting Marylanders first.”

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Van Hollen Endorses Mizeur in First District

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Heather Mizeur, Democratic candidate for Congress in Maryland’s First District, today announced the endorsement of Senator Chris Van Hollen.

“I’m proud to have earned Senator Van Hollen’s endorsement,” Mizeur said in a statement. “During my time in the Maryland General Assembly, I worked closely with then-Congressman Van Hollen as we combined forces to serve our constituents — ensuring that the people who most needed their government to work for them didn’t fall through the cracks.

“Since then, I’ve watched proudly as Chris has championed in the U.S. Senate so many of the causes I care most about: stronger environmental protections, affordable health care, and an economy that works for everyone,” Mizeur said.

“Heather Mizeur is the bold, innovative leader we need in Congress for Maryland’s First District,” Van Hollen said in a statement. “Throughout her career, she has led the charge on policies that have made Maryland a fairer, stronger, more equitable state by building consensus and bringing people together.

“Heather successfully fought to move our state forward on issues like marriage equality, affordable health care for our children and families, and protecting our environment,” Van Hollen said. “She is a tenacious fighter for Maryland and can take on Andy Harris to flip the First. Heather is in this race to win, and I’m proud to stand by her.”

Senator Van Hollen’s endorsement is the first major show of support for any Democrat running to challenge Andy Harris, and comes on the heels of Mizeur’s announcement that she had raised nearly $250,000 in the opening weeks of her campaign. Van Hollen will headline a fundraiser for Mizeur on March 17.

Mizeur spent a decade working in the U.S. Congress, including four years as domestic policy director for U.S. Senator John Kerry. A former Takoma Park city councilmember and small business owner, she was elected to the General Assembly in 2006. Mizeur was known for her work to expand health care for children and families, reform the criminal incarceration system, advance civil rights protections, safeguard the environment, and bring new technology jobs to Maryland.

In 2014, Mizeur ran a spirited campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor, building a statewide grassroots movement. In 2017, she founded Soul Force Politics, a non-profit organization working to bridge the divisions in American political and civic life. Heather and her wife, Deborah, live and work on their farm in Chestertown.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Enviro Congressional Scorecard: Good Grades for Dems, a Zero for Rep. Harris

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The League of Conservation Voters released its annual congressional scorecard Thursday, and the Maryland delegation lined up about as expected:

Six House Democrats — Reps. Steny H. Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie B. Raskin, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, John P. Sarbanes and David J. Trone — received perfect 100% scores. Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D) got 95% on the scorecard, and the state’s two senators, Benjamin L. Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both Democrats, scored 92% grades.

Rep. Andy Harris

The lone Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation, Rep. Andrew P. Harris, got a zero.

Harris’ lifetime score from LCV is 3%, while the Democrats’ range from 82% (Hoyer) to 99% (Raskin).

“President Biden has wasted no time putting climate at the top of his agenda to protect our future,” Maryland LCV’s executive director, Kim Coble, said in a statement. “Thankfully we have representatives who have stood up for Maryland’s values and put our future first. But Representative Andy Harris continues to side with corporate polluters over Maryland’s health and environment.”

According to LCV, the scores were tabulated using 21 House votes that advanced pro-environmental and pro-democracy bills, provisions, and government funding. In the Senate, for the fourth year in a row, the majority of the 13 scored votes were based on nominations both to the federal bench and the Trump administration.

The scorecard also includes votes on removing public monuments to racism and policing and criminal justice reform. LCV leaders say racism and environmental justice issues are increasingly intertwined.

Nationally, the U.S. Senate, which was under Republican control in 2020, had a 46% score from LCV. The House, which was in Democratic hands, scored 59% collectively.

“In an incredibly difficult and unprecedented year and with the most anti-environmental president ever, pro-environment members of the 116th Congress paved the way for transformational action on climate and environmental justice,” said LCV Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld.

By Josh Kurtz

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