Maryland Republicans file lawsuit to stop redistricting ballot question

Republican lawmakers are suing to stop a ballot question on congressional redistricting from appearing before Maryland voters in November.

The GOP is fighting to preserve the state’s only Republican seat in Congress, held by U.S. Rep. Andy Harris since 2011.

In a lawsuit filed late Thursday in Anne Arundel Circuit Court, several state delegates, state senators and an outside conservative group say Maryland Democrats rushed the legislative process and violated a state law governing ballot questions. The suit names the Maryland State Board of Elections, Gov. Wes Moore and other state officials as defendants.

“They suspended the rules, ignored statutory deadlines, and treated the Constitution as an obstacle to be removed,” said Del. Matt Morgan, a St. Mary’s County Republican and chair of the conservative Maryland Freedom Caucus.

Joining the far-right caucus members in the lawsuit are Sens. Steve Hershey and Justin Ready, the Senate minority leader and whip respectively, and the president of a conservative nonprofit called the Oversight Project.

The lawsuit dropped days after the conclusion of a special legislative session called by Moore to address congressional redistricting.

Moore and other top Democrats have driven Maryland into the mid-cycle redistricting battle. Red states and blue states have redrawn districts to try to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of the 2026 midterms. Even if it survives legal challenges, Maryland’s redistricting effort has no impact on the coming fall election.

In November, Maryland voters will weigh in on a ballot measure that would clear a legal pathway for Democrats to gerrymander away. For now, Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the General Assembly, have not changed any maps.

Democrats said they supported the change to address a 2022 court ruling that rejected a proposed congressional map, citing the constitutional language.

Lawmakers could take up new maps as soon as January. Any changes would first affect districts during the 2028 election cycle.

A spokesperson for the state Senate president did not respond to a request for comment. The House speaker’s office declined to comment.

Elections Administrator Jared DeMarinis said he hoped the courts expedite their decision ahead of the Aug. 31 ballot certification deadline.

A Moore spokesperson said officials were confident the General Assembly acted within the law.

“This lawsuit seeks to prevent Marylanders from having their say at the ballot box,” Ammar Moussa said. “And we will vigorously defend their right to do so.”

This story has been updated with responses from the governor’s office and the State Board of Elections.