(Most) Democrats at Question 3 rally, Harbeson heads out, more in political notes

Democrats are making their closing push for Question 3, the proposed amendment to the Maryland Constitution that will establish new standards for redrawing the state’s eight congressional districts.

At a rally in Bowie Monday — following the release of an ad for Question 3 featuring former President Barack Obama — Democrats framed the issue as one of standing up to Republican President Donald Trump. Rep. Glenn F. Ivey (D-4th) said passage was needed because “Donald Trump has been attempting to find any way he can to steal this election, and we’ve got to fight fire with fire.”

Maryland’s entry into hyperpartisan redistricting was prompted by Trump’s calls for Republican-led states to redraw lines to increase the number of Republican seats in the current mid-term election, Ivey told the crowd.

“We’re trying to fight back, and we have to fight back here in Maryland by redrawing our lines too. And that’s what Question 3 is all about,” Ivey said. “Because helping to control the House of Representatives is the way we put some guardrails on the Trump administration, and Lord knows if there’s an administration that ever needed it, it’s this one.”

This despite a predicted national blue wave in next week’s midterm elections. Most analysts predict Democrats will pick up enough seats to take control of the House, and that control of the Senate may also be within reach for Democrats.

The ballot question in Maryland will have no effect on the partisan makeup of Congress after the Nov. 3 election. There is no new map with the ballot question, just permission for legislators to make changes in the future. No new congressional maps could be drawn before 2027, and would not take effect until the 2028 elections, as Trump’s second and final term comes to a close.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), following the rally in Bowie said passage of the proposed amendment is needed to allow a redistricting process that could make it easier for Democrats to secure all eight of Maryland’s House seats. Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) is the only Republican in the state delegation, the seven other seats are held by Democrats.

Hoyer noted that a 2022 decision by Judge Lynne Battaglia made that redistricting effort more difficult. Passage would make it clear that nothing in the Maryland Constitution or state Declaration of Rights would set standards for redrawing the state’s congressional districts. It would eliminate almost any opportunity for a group to legally challenge a map in a Maryland court.

“We could [draw new maps], but this clarifies the court’s decision as to what was meant,” Hoyer said. “We all believe that the court made a mistake. In fact, the Supreme Court of Maryland suggested that in a subsequent opinion. The real answer to the question is, can’t we do the second [draw a map] without the first [passing the ballot question].”

Doug Mayer, a spokesman for the opposition group Protect Maryland Votes, said Hoyer “has been a beneficiary of extreme partisan gerrymandering for nearly 30 years, so it’s hardly surprising he is unwilling to admit the truth about Question 3.”

“But he did say some of the quiet part out loud – they are angry that a Democrat-appointed judge thought there should be controls around politicians picking their own voters and they want to get rid of those controls,” Mayer said. “This is about total power and nothing more.”

Ferguson’s focus

Absent from the Question 3 rallies and commercials is a key Maryland Democratic leader: Senate President Bill Ferguson.

Aside from an email that went out from the Fight Back Maryland campaign, the Baltimore City senator has been largely absent from the ballot question push. A Question 3 commercial features Democrats including Gov. Wes Moore, Hoyer, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk and U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, but not Ferguson.

All five favor a new House map that would favor a Democratic sweep, but Ferguson has not favored redrawing the districts before the 2030 Census.  And the relationship between Moore and Ferguson remains frayed from a bruising fight over redistricting earlier this year and Moore’s decision to not endorse the Senate leader.

When asked about Ferguson’s absences, a spokesperson for Fight Back Maryland shrugged but offered no comment.
A Ferguson spokesperson offered a different explanation.

“The Senate president’s primary focus has been on retaining and growing our Democratic majority in the state Senate including going after a potential seat flip in places like District 42,” said David Schuhlein. The retirement of Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore and Carroll) has left the District 42 seat open.

Want to vote by mail? You’d better get cracking

There’s still time to vote by mail in next Tuesday’s general election — but not much, said the Maryland State Board of Elections, which continues to remind voters of looming deadlines.

Tuesday is the last day to ask that a mail-in ballot be mailed or faxed to you to fill out and return. If you miss that deadline, you have until Friday to ask for an emailed link to your ballot, which you will then be responsible for printing and providing an envelope in which to return it. In either case, the request must be done online and include your name, address and driver’s license or identification number.

Early voting began Thursday and continues through 8 p.m. this Thursday at voting centers — which may be different than your normal polling place — around the state.

The Board of Elections said it had sent out 642,901 mail-in ballots so far this year, and had 290,990 returned as of 6 p.m. Sunday. Of those, 151,709 had been “accepted,” or counted by local election offices. Local elections officials in every county have had ballots returned, but officials in Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Garett, Kent and Somerset counties had not reported any had been accepted as of Sunday evening.

Democrats, who account for half the registered voters in the state, have asked for 66.3% of mail-in ballots so far, and were responsible for about 69% of the returned and accepted ballots. Republicans asked for 15.5% of mail-in ballots and other voters requested 18%, according to state officials. So far, 151,709 have been accepted, or counted. Amongst those, 105,615, or 70%, have been come from registered Democrats.

In the 2022 gubernatorial election, a total of 541,201 mail-in ballots were received.

You can find more voting deadlines and how-to information in our voter’s guide, along with information on statewide races, legislative elections and questions on proposed constitutional amendments.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, when polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Harbeson leaves LCV for Gally

After 11 years as political director for the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, Kristen Harbeson will be departing for Annapolis lobbying firm Gally Public Affairs next month.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the talented team at Maryland LCV for more than a decade, and I look forward continuing to supporting them in advancing their mission from my new post,” Harbeson wrote in a post on LinkedIn, adding that she will start in her new role Nov. 15.

Gally Public Affairs, the firm started by Eric Gally in 1997, has represented the League of Conservation Voters, according to the state’s online lobbying database, along with other environmental organizations such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Earthjustice and the Nature Conservancy.

Before she joined the League in 2015, Harbeson was a senior staffer to Del. Maggie McIntosh (D-Baltimore City), and she worked for the legislature’s former Environmental Matters Committee.