Every ten years, after the national census, the Constitution mandates that two issues of representation are dealt with: reapportionment and redistricting. Reapportionment deals with the shift in population from state to state. The number of the members of the House of Representatives is capped at 435. If Pennsylvania loses population and Florida gains residents, Florida would gain one seat and Pennsylvania would lose one.
Redistricting involves the drawing of the lines of Congressional and State Legislative districts that usually involve gerrymandering to benefit a specific political party. In Maryland, of course, the party in power in the General Assembly is the Democratic Party and therefore, it is the Republicans who are put at a disadvantage.
In 2002, Democrats under Parris Glendening, redrew the Congressional districts to put Bob Ehrlich’s 2nd CD in jeopardy. Ehrlich saw the writing on the wall, left the House and ran a successful campaign for Governor. Even in Maryland, gerrymandering does not work out as well as it is designed to.
In 2012, a Democratic General Assembly will try to gerrymander the 1st Congressional District seat currently held by Frank Kravotil from a toss-up seat to a safe Democratic seat by adding more of Prince Georges County and taking Harford County out of the district.
However, there is hope. Maryland is one of few states that the redistricting plan is initially shaped by a board controlled by the Governor. Simply put, Bob Ehrlich or Brian Murphy, will have an opportunity to shape the debate by authoring the first maps of the redistricting process.
Lou Cannon’s piece about Republican chances to take Governor’s mansions across the country strangely did not mention Maryland. The long awaited rematch in the general election is about three weeks away (should Ehrlich win). Ten years ago, the Maryland Congressional Delegation was 4 to 4. In 2002, it switched to 6 to 2. If the Democrats are victorious in November, Representative Roscoe Bartlett may be Maryland’s only Republican member of Congress and have to drive from Oakland to Elkton to reach his constituents.
To see the current Maryland Congressional delegation, and to view an interactive map, click here.
Faculty, Department of Political Science, Towson University. Graduate from Liberty University Seminary.