A leading Democratic senator said Friday that Gov. Larry Hogan (R) may be open to a compromise proposal for redrawing the boundaries of congressional districts, after his own plan has stalled in the legislature for three months. Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Montgomery) said he met with Hogan, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford and the governor’s chief of staff for nearly 25 minutes on Friday in a spirited discussion about Raskin’s proposal to create a “Potomac compact” that would allow an independent panel to draw congressional lines for Maryland and Virginia. Raskin’s rationale is that a two-state approach would offset Democratic losses in Maryland as a result of boundaries being redrawn with similar GOP losses in Virginia. “I found them very receptive to the idea,” Raskin said after his meeting Friday.
Hogan spokesman Doug Mayer said the governor “doesn’t think a two-state solution is the realistic way to achieve this plan. He thinks Maryland should act.”
Raskin said in an interview that he is pushing the two-state option because Democratic legislative leaders said they would not consider Hogan’s bill. While he prefers the two-state option, the senator told Hogan he would vote in favor of Hogan’s proposal in the legislature if the Democratic legislative leaders ever brought it for a vote.
Full Article: Raskin: Hogan ‘very receptive’ to possible redistricting compromise – The Washington Post.