Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission

Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) has announced a Citizens Redistricting Commission, charged with drawing new congressional and state legislative election districts based on the 2020 Census in time for the 2022 elections. The commission will have nine members — three Republicans, three Democrats, and three Independents. The Governor announced the three co-chairs — a retired Federal judge, a community college president, and a constitutional law scholar from the Cato Institute. Interested citizens can apply for the other six member positions. Meetings will be open and transparent, and citizen input will be solicited through public meetings throughout the state.

In my view, this is a most welcome move, even though it is fraught with political overtones. In this overwhelmingly Democratic state, with veto-proof majorities in both houses of the the state legislature, Democrats call the shots on redistricting, and the Republican governor can do little to stop it. However, more and more Democratic voters are unhappy with gerrymandering by Democratic politicians, especially as they come to realize how extreme it is. (Analysts have identified Maryland as the second or third most gerrymandered state in the nation.) As an extreme example, consider the shape of Maryland Congressional District 3:

I do not know if the governor can generate the necessary public support for his initiative, so the outcome is uncertain. However, lovers of democracy should applaud the attempt.