Maryland special session to weigh constitutional language on congressional redistricting
Maryland lawmakers are scheduled to convene in Annapolis from Aug. 3 through Aug. 5 for a special session that will include consideration of constitutional language affecting congressional redistricting.
The language under consideration would clarify that some redistricting requirements, including compactness and respect for natural boundaries, apply to General Assembly districts rather than congressional districts. The Associated Press reported that the change could allow legislators to revisit Maryland’s congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle.
The session is a legislative consideration, not a completed map redraw. The approved reporting packet does not establish that a constitutional measure has been introduced, passed by either chamber, or received approval from Gov. Wes Moore.
What lawmakers are scheduled to consider
The proposed constitutional approach concerns which districts are subject to specified redistricting standards. Under the language described by the Associated Press, those standards would be limited to districts for the Maryland General Assembly and would not apply to congressional districts.
That distinction is consequential because Maryland’s congressional districts could potentially be reconsidered ahead of the 2028 election cycle if the relevant change is approved through the required constitutional process. The packet does not provide legislative text, so the precise wording of any proposal has not been established here.
Nor does the available material identify effects on any particular congressional district. Whether boundaries would change, and how any future map would affect voters or candidates in individual districts, cannot be determined without the legislative language and any subsequent map proposal.
Special session dates and setting
The Maryland State Archives lists the 2026 special session for Aug. 3-5 in Annapolis. The special session therefore creates a short, defined window for lawmakers to take up the redistricting-related constitutional language described in the AP report.
The 2026 general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. The potential congressional-map changes discussed for the special session concern the later 2028 election cycle, rather than a stated change to the 2026 general election.
Gov. Wes Moore’s office issued a statement on July 7 regarding an August special session. The source packet confirms the governor’s official acknowledgement of the upcoming legislative meeting, but it does not provide sufficient detail to characterize the governor’s position on the redistricting language.
What is known and what remains unresolved
The central verified development is that the General Assembly is scheduled to meet and that lawmakers will consider steps related to the constitutional treatment of congressional redistricting criteria. The AP characterized the planned action as a step toward redistricting for 2028.
Several procedural questions remain unresolved in the approved material. It does not confirm the form or exact wording of a measure, the vote threshold that would apply, whether either chamber will vote, or whether a measure would advance beyond the special session. It also does not establish a timetable for drawing or adopting any congressional map.
Those distinctions matter because considering constitutional language is different from passing legislation, completing a constitutional process, or implementing new district boundaries. Maryland should not be described as having redrawn its congressional map unless lawmakers complete the necessary steps and an actual map change is adopted.
The Aug. 3-5 session will determine whether the proposal advances beyond consideration. Until then, the known potential effect is limited to opening a possible path for lawmakers to revisit congressional districts before the 2028 cycle.
Sources
- Maryland lawmakers to consider steps toward partisan redistricting for 2028, Associated Press
- Maryland General Assembly — 2026 Session, Maryland State Archives
- Governor Moore Statement on Special Session, Office of Governor Wes Moore