Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley (D) has changed his stance on gerrymandering, a practice he embraced when he redrew the state’s congressional districts more than six years ago.
During a speech at Boston College last month, O’Malley, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, said he no longer supports partisan redistricting. He said manipulating voting boundaries for political purposes “digs ideological trenches around incumbents” and deepens the nation’s political divisions.
“As a governor, I held that redistricting pen in my own Democratic hand,” he said. “I was convinced that we should use our political power to pass a map that was more favorable for the election of Democratic candidates.”
Attorneys challenging Maryland’s voting map as unconstitutional are now trying to learn more about O’Malley’s intentions during the state’s 2010 redistricting. Last week, they subpoenaed him to testify as part of a lawsuit challenging the state’s congressional districts.
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