Hakeem Jeffries is facing opposition from the Maryland Democrat on the new map plan
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The top Democrat in the Maryland legislature has poured cold water on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ campaign to oust the lone Republican from Congress.
Jeffries, D-N.Y., was in Annapolis Wednesday meeting with state leaders to discuss redrawing Maryland’s congressional map ahead of the November 2026 midterms.
He is one of the most high-profile Democrats pushing the state to join the growing battle for redistricting, which saw Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., ousted from one Republican-leaning district in the state.
That would require both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly to approve a new map recommended by Gov. Wes Moore’s redistricting commission earlier this year. But Senate President Bill Ferguson is resisting pressure from some Democrats.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., attends a House Democratic Steering and Policy committee hearing at the Capitol Visitor Center, Oct. 22, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
“It is because we want Leader Jeffries in the majority that the majority of the members of the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus do not support moving forward with a mid-cycle redistricting that will back fire in our state courts and lose Democrats in Congress,” Ferguson said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
It’s a position he’s held since last year, when he wrote a letter to Democrats warning that “mid-term redistricting in Maryland exposes a reality where legislative risk is high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map will be undermined.”
Ferguson said they also discussed “the importance of responding to the lawless Trump Administration through economic, social and immigration policies” and how to work together in those areas.
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But redistricting remains a sticking point that divides Democrats in the Old Line State.
Moore, who spoke to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, asked Ferguson to at least allow the new map to be voted on.
“As someone who fought for this country and someone who fought for democracy, I just believe in fighting for democracy, and I think that requires a vote, no matter how the vote comes out,” said Moore. “It doesn’t matter, but just vote. So I think that was the message that Leader Jeffries shared with the Senate President.”
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson is resisting pressure from some Democrats. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Jeffries has met with Democrats in various states about statewide redistricting, but it’s rare for him to make such a public pressure campaign for another party leader.
He told reporters Wednesday that he shared with Ferguson, “It’s our view, and I believe this is a view shared very clearly and clearly by Governor Wes Moore, that the best course of action at this time 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 manner and see where things go.”
Jeffries also suggested that Ferguson’s decision was not final and that there are still ongoing discussions on the matter.
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Harris, Maryland’s lone Republican in Washington, DC, is the leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
He told Fox News Digital last month that he would file a lawsuit to challenge the new map if it was somehow disapproved.
“Wes, we’ll see you in court,” said the leader of the Conservative caucus.
Chairman of the Freedom Caucus Rep. Andy Harris talks to reporters as he walks into the House Chamber at the US Capitol on July 2, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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A recount is usually a process that occurs every 10 years, after a new census requires the redistricting of congressional districts based on population changes.
But a redistricting battle has erupted ahead of the November midterms that could upend electoral maps across the country.
Both Texas and California moved to redraw their congressional maps in favor of Republicans and Democrats, respectively.
A similar effort by Indiana Republicans, supported by President Donald Trump, was shot down by members of their own party. But states like Virginia, Florida, and Ohio could follow suit.
