The Maryland House of Delegates approved Governor Martin O’Malley’s plan to redraw the lines of the state’s eight congressional districts Oct. 19.
The revised districts will go into effect for the 2012 elections, and the new lines will change the sixth district from being comprised of primarily registered Republicans to being comprised of mostly registered Democrats, thereby adding a seventh Democratic majority representation district to the six existing ones.
“This newly drawn district that much of Potomac will be in will allow Montgomery County to send a second person to Congress, and I think that Potomac will be at the heart of this new congressional district,” said Delegate Brian Feldman (D-Montgomery County), who voted in favor of the redistricting plan.
Currently, Democrat Chris Van Hollen represents Potomac, which is in the eighth district. Under the new plan, Potomac will be split along River Road between the sixth and eighth districts with the majority being added to the sixth district.
According to AP NSL teacher Matthew Schilling, the redistricting plan is an example of gerrymandering.
“They’re drawing the lines to take a Republican out of office and put a Democrat in,” Schilling said. “They’re dispersing the Republicans in the state to favor the Democrats.”
Senior Danny Ricci, a member of the Young Democrats Club believes that the new changes will greatly help the Democratic Party.
“It will help the Democrats in western Maryland elect a candidate who will represent their interests,” Ricci said.
Junior Republican Christina Lee also recognizes that the new districts solely help Democrats.
“It completely takes all power away from the Republican party because in all honesty, this map isn’t about county boundaries of the people’s interest,” Lee said. “It’s about partisan advantage.”
The sixth district is currently represented by Republican Roscoe Bartlett. According to Bartlett’s press secretary, Lisa Wright, Bartlett, who will seek reelection despite Democratic majority registration in the new sixth district, opposes the new districts because they underrepresent farmers and minorities.
