Maryland governor’s redistricting bid falls short; Florida, Virginia up next

by WorldTribune Staff, April 14, 2026 Non-AI Real World News

Maryland Democrat Gov. Wes Moore’s bid to have the state’s congressional districts redrawn to benefit Democrats has failed.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

The clock officially ran out on the redistricting proposal late Monday night as the state legislative session ended.

The bill aimed to make it easier to flip the state’s lone Republican-held seat, but it died in the state Senate Rules Committee as the legislative session ended.

Resistance from within the Democrat Party, including Senate President Bill Ferguson, arose over potential backfiring through legal challenges.

Meanwhile, deep red Florida and Democrat-controlled Virginia are hoping for better results in their redistricting efforts.

Florida is pursuing a redraw of its congressional maps through a special legislative session called by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis for April 20-24, targeting an increase in Republican-leaning seats.

The effort could potentially add 2 to 5 Republican seats.

In Virginia, Democrats led by leftist Gov. Abigail Spanberger are pushing to redraw the state’s congressional maps, hoping to change the current 6-5 split to a 10-1 advantage for Democrats.

The Virginia proposal faces an April 2026 referendum which would allow for mid-decade redistricting.

The Virginia Supreme Court is reviewing an appeal regarding the legality of the amendment process.


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