Ellis/Andrews Campaign Calls Redistricting Process "Political Power Play," Proposes Structural Reform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 21, 2026
CONTACT: Media Contact info@gogreen2026.com
ANNAPOLIS, MD — The Ellis/Andrews 2026 gubernatorial campaign today criticized the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Commission vote to approve a new congressional map, calling the process a transparent power grab dressed up as reform.
The commission voted 3-2 on Monday to recommend a new map that would eliminate Maryland's only Republican-held congressional seat. Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat and commission member, called the map "objectively unconstitutional" and voted against it.
The commission heard no testimony from election officials. The Attorney General's office was not consulted. Members received only a brief preview of the map before the closed-door vote.
"If the Governor wants to redraw the maps to help Hakeem Jeffries and the National Democratic Party, he should just say so," stated Andy Ellis, Green Party candidate for Governor of Maryland. "He and Maryland Democrats have the power. But calling it fair and transparent is insulting to anyone who has watched the process. It has been pretty easy to see that this would be the outcome."
Ellis noted that Maryland's 2021 congressional map was struck down by a state court for extreme partisan gerrymandering, forcing the legislature to redraw it under court order. "The current maps aren't fair. The proposed maps won't be fair. Maryland was already one of the most gerrymandered states in America before this commission ever met."
Ellis argued that "independent redistricting commissions" do not solve the underlying problem. "Even independent commissions still draw single-member, winner-take-all districts where lines can always be manipulated. Multi-member districts with proportional representation would make gerrymandering mathematically impossible—60 percent of the vote yields 60 percent of the seats, not all of them. That's how most democracies work. It's how the U.S. worked in many states. It's the single best reform we can make to break away from the polarization destroying our politics."
The Fair Representation Act (H.R. 4632), introduced by Representative Don Beyer, would enable multi-member districts with ranked choice voting nationwide.
Owen Silverman Andrews, candidate for Lieutenant Governor, concluded: "Maryland doesn't need new maps drawn by partisans pretending to be neutral. Maryland needs structural reform that makes gerrymandering impossible. The Green Party is the only party fighting for that."
About the Ellis/Andrews Campaign
Andy Ellis and Owen Silverman Andrews are seeking the Green Party nomination for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Maryland in 2026. Their campaign focuses on grassroots democracy, economic justice, and environmental sustainability. The campaign is publicly financed through Maryland's Fair Election Fund. Learn more at gogreen2026.com.