BALTIMORE — A proposed new map of Maryland congressional districts received mixed reactions on Wednesday, encountering resistance in the state Senate, a dutiful promise of consideration in the House and unease among federal lawmakers facing redrawn districts in an election year.

The map, drawn by a Maryland commission, would scramble U.S. House members’ district lines and improve Democrats’ chances of unseating Rep. Andy Harris, the only Republican among Maryland’s eight U.S. House members. It would likely compel some members such as first-term Democratic Rep. Sarah Elfreth — and perhaps Harris — to switch districts to maximize their reelection chances.

But the new map would need to overcome a series of obstacles to be enacted. It would require approval of both General Assembly chambers, but state Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, wasn’t budging Wednesday on his opposition. It also faces a ticking clock since the candidate filing deadline is Feb. 24.

If f the map cleared the General Assembly, it would almost certainly be challenged in the courts by Republicans as it was in 2022, when a judge rejected state Democrats’ map and ordered them to craft a new one.

“I don’t think this map is going anywhere,” Harris said in an interview.

The new map represents state Democrats’ effort to comply with the wishes of their national party leaders. Redistricting typically doesn’t occur until after the census — every 10 years — to ensure districts maintain relatively equal populations.

This year’s unusual, mid-decade redistricting scramble — playing out across the country — began after President Donald Trump urged Republican-led states to rewrite the lines to try to pick up seats in the November elections that will determine whether the GOP retains U.S. House control. Democrats say they couldn’t allow Trump and the Republicans a unilateral advantage.

The next step in Annapolis is for the map to be introduced as a bill in the state House. While the timetable is uncertain, the legislation will be considered by the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, and then by the full House of Delegates.

Joseline Peña-Melnyk, the state House speaker, is aligned on the issue with Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who told reporters Wednesday that the map “is something that is not just going to make our congressional maps more competitive, but it’s also something that actually is the will of the people.”

Peña-Melnyk, who is in her first session as speaker after Adrienne Jones stepped down last month, said in a written statement: “We believe this map meets constitutional and legal requirements, and that the election calendar will allow us to take action on it this session.”

Ferguson has resisted this new redistricting push, saying it could “backfire in our courts” and hurt Democrats.

He said Tuesday that the advisory commission recommended a map “that is objectively unconstitutional and jeopardizes Maryland’s existing map. It breaks apart more neighborhoods and communities than our existing map, and it fails the constitutional requirement of one person, one vote.”

New district maps have been approved in such states as Texas and California, and a number of others have begun the process, with each party trying to boost their candidates’ chances.

Redistricting makes rank-and-file House members uneasy because it creates uncertainty about the composition of their own districts.

That’s because redrawing a district map is like pulling a thread from an old sweater. One small change can have cascading consequences.

Maryland lawmakers and staff members in Washington have begun the anxiety-filled process of studying what their new districts might look like, knowing their review may be unnecessary if the map isn’t approved.

The map would extend Harris’ Eastern Shore territory across the Bay Bridge and into Democrat-friendly areas of Anne Arundel and Howard counties. The proposed map is similar to a Democrat proposal that was rejected in 2022 by a judge who said the map was drawn with “partisanship as a predominant interest,” and ordered legislators to quickly craft a new one.

The new map also would extend the district of first-term Democratic Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. of Baltimore County into portions of Harford and Anne Arundel counties that he does not currently represent.

“People should choose their politicians — not the other way around,” Olszewski said Wednesday. “It’s unfortunate that President Trump and Texas Republicans started this race to the bottom. We can and should have (redistricting) reform implemented on the national level — and I fully support legislation to do that.”

Under the map, Elfreth’s base — she lives in Annapolis — would become part of the 1st Congressional District now held by Harris. She currently represents the 3rd Congressional District.

Rather than move, Elfreth said in an interview Wednesday that she would defend her territory — even if that meant representing a new district including the Republican-oriented Eastern Shore.

“I will hit the ground running,” she said. “I am not afraid of a difficult race.”

Harris, who first won the seat in 2010 and now lives in Cambridge, said he could run in a “variety” of districts.

“I did used to live in Cockeysville,” he said. “I could run in the Baltimore district that now contains my constituents from Harford, East Baltimore County, and Cecil County (or) I could run in the district they drew across the Bay Bridge.”

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(Baltimore Sun reporters Ben Mause and Katharine Wilson contributed to this article.)

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