Redistricting reform: Hogan makes good on his promise

Gov. Larry Hogan took an important step toward fulfilling one of the most important promises of his campaign today by naming a commission to come up with recommendations to reform the process by which Maryland redraws congressional and legislative district maps. Granted, he made a lot of important promises, like boosting Maryland's economy and setting the state's taxation and fiscal policy on a permanently sustainable course. But this one stands out because his administration is in a position to deliver on a fundamental reform for the cause of good government in a way that might never have happened if he hadn't been elected.

Maryland's redistricting process is dominated by the governor, and for the last several decades, that has meant, for all practical purposes, that the lines have been drawn by a small group of Democratic insiders in a way that benefits the Democratic Party. After the 2000 census, then-Gov. Parris Glendening redrew the lines to shift Maryland's House of Representatives delegation from a 4-4 split between the parties to a 6-2 advantage for the Democrats. After the 2010 census, then Gov. Martin O'Malley's redistricting set the stage for Democrats to take seven of the eight seats. So long as Democrats were firmly in control of both the governor's seat and the legislature, there was no reason for anyone to listen to the complaints from good government types about contorted district lines. Allowing politicians to choose their voters rather than the other way around suited the powers-that-be just fine.

But with Governor Hogan, Democrats must face the legitimate possibility that a Republican could still be in control come 2021 — and that he could do unto Democrats what Democrats have done unto Republicans. Mr. Hogan's Democratic opponent, Anthony Brown, also promised redistricting reform, but had he been elected, Democrats in the legislature wouldn't necessarily have cooperated even if he had followed through. But with Mr. Hogan in charge, they have every incentive to pursue real reform.

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