Ferguson: ‘Window of opportunity has closed’ on redistricting efforts

by Danielle J. Brown, Maryland Matters
February 20, 2026

He won’t say it in so many words, but Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) indicates that legislation to redistrict Maryland’s congressional map mid-cycle might as well be dead, despite growing pressure from some state and national Democrats.

The surprise visit Wednesday from U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) didn’t ease Ferguson’s concern that a new map to give Democrats full control of the Maryland congressional delegation would hold up in court — nor his belief that there would not be enough time to implement new maps ahead of 2026 elections.

“Given the timeline of where things stand, the window of opportunity had closed,” Ferguson told reporters during a Friday news conference.

Gov. Wes Moore (D) and the Maryland House of Delegates are pushing legislation that could give Democrats control of all eight of the state’s congressional seats, eliminating the one district held by a Republican, Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st).

Moore and other proponents say redrawing the maps is necessary to counter gerrymandering efforts in Republican states that aim to boost GOP representation in Congress. The Maryland redistricting legislation, House Bill 488, flew through the House of Delegates earlier this month.

But it has stalled in the Senate, assigned to the Rules Committee where it is expected to remain without a vote for the rest of session.

Ferguson does not think the map could stand up to a court challenge, and might even backfire on Maryland Democrats, costing them their current 7-1 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation.

Jeffries brings redistricting push to Maryland Senate president

“Even if this were a realistic possibility, the window of opportunity closed months ago,” Ferguson said Friday. “We know that to be the case because we know what prior redistricting case studies have shown.

“It takes at least three to four months for a trial-level court to play out, and then whatever decision happens likely leads to an appeal,” he said. “The filing deadline [for candidates] is next week. We are not going to wait until June to reopen a filing deadline for new maps, new precincts, new local boards.”

Besides that, Ferguson says the effort does not have enough support in the Senate.

At least 16 senators would need to sign a petition calling for HB 488 to be brought out of committee purgatory to a floor vote. On a regular bill, 24 of the 47 senators are needed to pass a bill. But because HB 488 is an emergency measure and it includes a proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution, it would require 29 votes to pass.

Ferguson and sources familiar with the 34-member Democratic Caucus in the Senate maintain that there are not 16 votes to petition the bill out of committee, much less meet any of the other thresholds to pass it.

“The map that we have today is the best option for fighting against this Trump administration,” he said.

With the state’s campaign filing deadline on Tuesday, Ferguson said senators “have to focus and prioritize” on other ways the General Assembly can counteract the “lawless Trump administration.” He highlighted some of those efforts Friday, with senators who joined him for the news conference.

One such bill would let Maryland residents sue federal agents in state courts for violations of their constitutional rights. Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D-Montgomery) who sponsored Senate Bill 346, the “No Kings Act,” said it “pushes back on a federal administration that is intent of violating constitutional rights of Marylanders.”

“Marylanders deserve a venue by which they can vindicate their constitutional rights when it comes to the acts of this federal government,” Waldstreicher said at the press conference.

Sen. Mary Washington (D-Baltimore City and Baltimore County) sponsored Senate Bill 604, which would codify current anti-discrimination policies into state law, ensuring that families can adopt or become foster parents regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Project 2025 has really called for the repeal of federal regulations of the current prohibitions on discrimination,” she said, referring to the Heritage Foundation’s policy roadmap for the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress. “So we are … stepping forward, going ahead and saying that we are clearly not allowing for there to be discrimination in these spaces.”

Ferguson said he wanted to highlight those bills and others to highlight what would be “tangible” impacts on Maryland families, in contrast to the redistricting bill.

“I have a great deal of respect for the varying opinions and the legal analyses out there,” Ferguson said. “But at the end of the day, this is about making sure that we are in the best possible position in Maryland to fight back against this administration, with tangible policies for Maryland families to truly protect them against what is happening.”

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Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: editor@marylandmatters.org.