Jeffries Tries to Persuade Wary Maryland Senate Leader on Redistricting

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) traveled to the Maryland State House on Wednesday to personally lobby the state’s Senate president to hold a floor vote on a new congressional map, but left without a commitment as intraparty tensions over mid-cycle redistricting sharpened ahead of a looming candidate filing deadline.

Jeffries met with Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson—who has publicly opposed any mid-decade redistricting in Maryland—making the case that the state’s Democratic-controlled Senate should put the map to an up-or-down vote.

The map at the center of the fight is House Bill 488, which Maryland’s House of Delegates passed 99–37 on Feb. 2. The legislation implements a new congressional map recommended by a redistricting advisory commission created by Gov. Wes Moore (D). If enacted, the map would give Democrats an 8–0 congressional advantage and eliminate Maryland’s only Republican-held seat, currently represented by Rep. Andy Harris.

The bill includes a constitutional amendment framework that would put the question before voters at the November 2026 general election—asking whether the new map could also be used in the 2028 and 2030 cycles until another post-census plan takes effect.

Jeffries also met with Gov. Moore, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D), Legislative Black Caucus Chair Scott Phillips (D), and the Maryland House Democratic Caucus during the trip.

“Bill Ferguson authentically believes that the votes don’t exist in the state Senate to move forward,” Jeffries said in a statement after the meeting. “The only way to find out is to allow an immediate up-or-down vote on the Senate floor with respect to the new congressional map passed by the House of Delegates.”

Jeffries framed the trip as a response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states. “I met with State Senate President Bill Ferguson to respectfully share our perspective on the need for a forceful Democratic response in Maryland to Donald Trump’s malignant effort to rig the midterm elections,” he said.

Ferguson did not appear to budge. In a statement following the meeting, the Senate president signaled that most of his caucus remains opposed and warned the map could backfire in court.

“It’s precisely because we want Leader Jeffries in the majority that most members in the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus do not support moving forward with mid-cycle redistricting that will backfire in our state courts and lose Democrats in Congress,” Ferguson said.

Maryland’s candidate filing deadline for upcoming 2026 elections is next Tuesday, though legislation has been proposed to push that date back.

During a press conference back on Capitol Hill later in the day, Jeffries said he expected Ferguson to consult with his members following the meeting.

“It’s our view, and I believe this is the view that has been clearly and decisively shared by Gov. Wes Moore, that the best course of action at this moment is to allow an up-or-down vote in the Maryland state Senate, so that we have an opportunity to move forward in a transparent way and see where things will land,” he said.

Maryland Republicans criticized Jeffries for the visit, noting it delayed the start of the House floor session by 25 minutes.

“At a time when Maryland families are asking for relief—lower energy costs, attainable homeownership, and stronger educational outcomes—congressional Democrats instead are bullying state senators to disenfranchise Maryland voters,” the Maryland Freedom Caucus said in a statement.