Summary
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is urging Maryland Democrats to approve a new congressional map that could help Democrats gain more seats in Congress. Jeffries wants to counter Republican-led redistricting in some states by encouraging Democrats to redraw legislative maps where they have control. Maryland's Senate President Bill Ferguson, however, is hesitant, fearing it might not succeed in state courts.
Key Facts
- Hakeem Jeffries, a Democratic leader in the U.S. House, is pushing for a vote on a new congressional map in Maryland.
- Jeffries seeks to increase Democratic seats by getting states to redraw districts.
- Maryland's new map would potentially remove the state's last Republican-held House seat.
- Maryland's Senate President Bill Ferguson worries about legal challenges and does not support a mid-term redistricting move.
- Maryland's Governor Wes Moore, also a Democrat, supports the new map.
- Maryland’s State Senate is hesitant due to past court rulings against similar maps.
- Past court decisions found previous Maryland maps to be overly gerrymandered.
- Jeffries has successfully influenced new maps in California and Virginia but faces challenges in other states.
