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Democrats across the country are showing their support for Texas lawmakers who fled the state in order to prevent a GOP-led redistricting vote. This is a stark contrast to their stance a decade ago, when Maryland Democrats faced little backlash for a plan that nearly eliminated every Republican congressional seat.
Following the loss of a congressional seat in the 2010 census, Maryland was tasked with redrawing the lines for the remaining eight seats. Then-Gov. Martin O’Malley was eager to diminish the GOP’s influence in the state.
Despite being predominantly Democratic, Maryland has conservative strongholds at its geographical edges and Republican-majority communities scattered throughout the more densely populated central area of the state.
One of the newly drawn districts, the 3rd District represented by then-Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., was described by Fourth Circuit federal Judge Paul Niemeyer as resembling a “broken-winged pterodactyl, sprawled across Maryland.”
Efforts were made to connect affluent suburban areas of the state while avoiding inner-city Baltimore and the military base at Fort George Meade. The district was so convoluted that one could not drive across it in its entirety.
Starting northwest of Baltimore, the district curved east, crossed the city’s northern border, included northeastern suburbs, and then looped back southward to encompass Inner Harbor and surrounding suburbs. The district then continued to zigzag across the state, creating disjointed boundaries and separating communities.
Despite its controversial design, the district was fiercely defended by Maryland Democrats who aimed to eliminate any remaining Republican presence in the state.
Previous redistricting efforts in Maryland aimed at ousting Republican representatives, including Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., whose district was dramatically altered to include liberal suburbs near Washington, D.C. Bartlett ultimately lost his seat to a Democrat in the following election.
Rep. Andy Harris, the last remaining Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation, faced challenges due to the state’s redistricting efforts. Harris noted that his district was becoming more competitive as a result of the latest redistricting.
Former Gov. O’Malley admitted to seeking Bartlett’s removal through redistricting efforts, acknowledging his intent to create districts more favorable to Democrats. Despite criticism from various sources, including The Washington Post, O’Malley has since spoken out against gerrymandering.
After leaving office, O’Malley advocated for an end to gerrymandering, recognizing the impact of his own redistricting decisions on the state’s political landscape.
