Martin O'Malley and Larry Hogan are both pushing to end gerrymandering

[DonViejo]

By Josh Hicks February 5 at 6:56 PM

Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley (D) has changed his stance on gerrymandering, a practice he embraced when he redrew the state’s congressional districts more than six years ago.

During a speech at Boston College last month, O’Malley, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, said he no longer supports partisan redistricting. He said manipulating voting boundaries for political purposes “digs ideological trenches around incumbents” and deepens the nation’s political divisions.

“As a governor, I held that redistricting pen in my own Democratic hand,” he said. “I was convinced that we should use our political power to pass a map that was more favorable for the election of Democratic candidates.”

Attorneys challenging Maryland’s voting map as unconstitutional are now trying to learn more about O’Malley’s intentions during the state’s 2010 redistricting. Last week, they subpoenaed him to testify as part of a lawsuit challenging the state’s congressional districts.

A federal judge has ruled that a host of other current and former Maryland officials involved in the process, including Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) and House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), must comply with similar subpoenas, despite their efforts to avoid scrutiny by claiming “legislative privilege.”

more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/martin-omalley-and-larry-hogan-are-both-pushing-to-end-gerrymandering/2017/02/05/c8ed3e22-e962-11e6-80c2-30e57e57e05d_story.html?utm_term=.e610e4985a04&wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1

[femmocrat]

1. Wasn't Eric Holder (along with Obama) supposed to tackle this too?

I doubt if much will happen since there are so many republican governors. Good luck to them--- it has to start somewhere.

[alarimer]

2. Good.

This state is one of the worst. I don't think districts should be drawn with regard to political makeup. They should be even, in terms of number of people and that's it. Let them all be competitive all the time; it's much healthier than the current situation where 90% of incumbents get reelected, some without even any opposition.

[mitch96]

3. But with out gerrymandering...

and voter restrictions how would republicans win elections??
m

[yeoman6987]

4. Maryland is gerrymandered to

They have annapolis with eastern shore. Hence the only red district. Annapolis would be blue if done correctly.