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Bill Ferguson
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Bill Ferguson

Maryland State Senate President; blocked the Democratic all-blue congressional redistricting map in 2026.

Last refreshed: 7 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Will Bill Ferguson reverse course on Maryland redistricting after the Callais ruling changes the legal landscape?

Timeline for Bill Ferguson

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Common Questions
Why did Maryland fail to gerrymander its congressional map in 2026?
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson blocked the map passed 99-37 by the House, citing constitutional concerns. The blocking came from within the Democratic Party.Source: Event: Maryland Senate blocks its map
Why did Maryland fail to pass its Democratic redistricting map in 2026?
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson refused to schedule a floor vote, allowing the legislative session to expire and killing the plan. He argued the map replicated a configuration previously struck down as unconstitutional.Source: event
Who is Bill Ferguson in Maryland politics?
Bill Ferguson is the President of the Maryland State Senate, a Baltimore Democrat who blocked his own party's congressional redistricting map in early 2026 by declining to schedule a Senate vote.

Background

Bill Ferguson is the President of the Maryland State Senate and a Baltimore Democrat who blocked his own caucus's proposed all-eight-districts-Democratic congressional map in early 2026. The Maryland House of Delegates passed the map 99-37 on 2 February, but Ferguson refused to schedule a Senate floor vote, allowing the regular session to expire and killing the plan.

Ferguson's stated rationale was that the map replicated a configuration previously struck down as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander — a characterisation shared by Judicial Watch. The Maryland map's death meant Democrats could not use the state as an offset against Republican seat gains elsewhere. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries subsequently dispatched Ranking Member Joseph Morelle to Albany on 4 May 2026 to coordinate a broader Democratic redistricting response. Ferguson remains a central figure in whether Maryland revisits redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms.

More questions
Could Maryland redistrict again before the 2026 midterms?
Following the Callais ruling and Jeffries dispatching Morelle to coordinate a Democratic response in Albany, Maryland remains a potential redistricting candidate, but a repeat attempt would require Ferguson to change position.Source: event
What is the current Maryland congressional map?
Maryland is using its existing map after the all-Democratic alternative died in the Senate in February 2026. The existing map has a 7-1 Democratic advantage — one fewer seat than the proposed eight-way sweep.
Source Material
Senator Bill Ferguson — Maryland General Assembly