Maryland judge throws out Democrat-leaning congressional map

A Maryland judge tossed the state’s congressional map, calling it an “extreme partisan gerrymander” in a ruling Friday that gave the state just a few days to arrive at a new plan.

Judge Lynne A. Battaglia, who found the map violated the Maryland constitution’s protections for fair elections, gave the legislature until March 30 to draw a new map. The state has an April 15 filing deadline in advance of a July 19 primary.

The ruling noted the decision could be appealed to a state court of appeals.

Fair Maps Maryland, an advocacy group associated with case plaintiffs, including Republican state lawmakers, praised the ruling in a statement.

“To call this a big deal would be the understatement of the century. Judge Battaglia’s ruling confirms what we have all known for years — Maryland is ground zero for gerrymandering, our districts and political reality reek of it, and there is abundant proof that it is occurring,” the organization said.