<p>A Maryland judge on Wednesday ruled against a ballot question for a state constitutional redistricting amendment that aimed to allow Democrats to gain one seat in the 2028 elections, impacting Governor Wes Moore's agenda.</p>
<p>Governor Moore signed a measure this month, approved by the Democrat-led Maryland General Assembly, to place the constitutional amendment on the ballot and to redraw congressional districts to potentially unseat the state’s only Republican congressman, Rep. Andy Harris.</p>
<p>This initiative has been a significant aspect of Moore’s platform, which seeks to counteract redistricting efforts by Republican-led states. Although Moore is expected to win reelection this fall, he is considered a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Other Democratic governors, such as Gavin Newsom of California, have successfully pursued similar redistricting efforts.</p>
<p>However, Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson, appointed by former Republican Governor Larry Hogan, found the ballot question to be “legally deficient.” He stated that the General Assembly did not adhere to its own laws by missing the July 1 deadline for ballot questions and accused lawmakers of being “intentionally misleading” regarding the amendment's language.</p>
<p>The legal challenge, initiated by the conservative Oversight Project and Republican lawmakers, will proceed to the Maryland Supreme Court following an appeal from the Moore administration. The state’s high court is composed of five justices appointed by Hogan and two appointed by Democrats, including one from Moore.</p>
<p>Moore’s office commented, “At a moment when states across the country are manipulating congressional maps to silence voters and undermine fair representation, Maryland cannot afford to sit on our hands. We believe Maryland voters deserve the opportunity to make their voices heard, and we will continue fighting to ensure they can.”</p>
<p>Rep. Harris, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus, praised the ruling and criticized Moore and the Democrats for attempting to create a partisan gerrymander aimed at his district.</p>
<p>“Marylanders deserve fair representation, not politicians changing the rules to eliminate a congressional seat they cannot win at the ballot box,” Harris stated.</p>
<p>Maryland Democrats’ proposed congressional map for 2028 would aim to turn Harris’s seat blue, allowing Democrats to control all eight House seats.</p>
<p>Joe Francaviglia, political director for Fight Back MD, an advocacy group supporting the constitutional amendment, suggested that Thompson’s ruling indicated he was “auditioning for a federal appointment from Trump.”</p>