Judge struck down Maryland's congressional map as unconstitutional

On Friday, Senior Judge Lynne A. Battaglia from the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court struck down Maryland's congressional map, saying that it “fails constitutional muster" and citing excessive partisan gerrymandering as a reason for her decision. 

Battaglia ordered the Maryland General Assembly to create a new map by March 30, and a hearing on the new map will be held on April 1 at 9 a.m. 

The plaintiffs of the lawsuit filed against the state congressional map alleged that the map results in partisan imbalance which discriminates against Republican voters. 

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan had initially vetoed the map, but his veto was overridden by the Democratic-majority General Assembly. Hogan encouraged the General Assembly to pass maps from last year created by his bipartisan commission. 

"This ruling is a monumental victory for every Marylander who cares about protecting our democracy, bringing fairness to our elections, and putting the people back in charge. It puts in plain view the partisan, secretive, and rigged process that led to the legislature's illegal and unconstitutional maps," Hogan said in a statement on Friday. 

Hogan's commission's map was also struck down because it made the 6th District more competitive for Republicans.