Maryland judge blocks 2026 ballot measure on congressional maps
What's next: The ruling was paused for an appeal to the state Supreme Court, leaving Democrats a narrow path to target the GOP-held 8th seat before 2028.
A Maryland judge ruled that a proposed constitutional amendment on congressional redistricting cannot appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot, dealing a blow to Democrats' effort to redraw the state's U.S. House map before the 2028 elections. Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Robert Thompson found that lawmakers missed ballot-measure deadlines, used misleading language in describing the proposal and violated the state's single-issue rule. He paused the effect of the order to allow an appeal to the Maryland Supreme Court. The amendment sought to limit compactness and natural-boundary requirements to state legislative districts, not congressional ones, potentially allowing mapmakers to reshape the Chesapeake Bay-area district held by Republican Rep. Andy Harris.