Eastern Shore republicans file lawsuit on redistricting ballot question

Salisbury, Md. – Last week’s special session in Annapolis produced multiple shockwaves, one of them being a lawsuit from Maryland’s Eastern Shore Republicans.

On Monday, Del. Chris Adams (R – District 37B) is the chair of the Eastern Shore Delegation, alongside Maryland republicans Sens. Johnny Mautz (R – District 37) and Mary Beth Carozza (R – District 38) filed a lawsuit against the General Assembly, contesting the legality of the process to pass the constitutional ballot question on redistricting this fall. They also filed their lawsuit with Sen. Chris West (R – District 42), who represents Central and Northern Baltimore County.

This comes after the Maryland Freedom Caucus filed its own lawsuit against the bill.

“We want rural representation in Washington, and that has to happen free of connecting us to urban areas, which would be an Anne Arundel County, which is what they’re trying to do,” Adams said.

He alleges the legislature tried to bypass some of the protocol and the state constitution through the ballot initiative and “take away the local Eastern Shore’s ability to vote for that voice that they wish to represent them in Washington.”

“We need to fight that. I’m doing that through a lawsuit, along with others,” Adams said.

He said he hopes the judges and state Supreme Court rules in their favor before the Sept. 3 deadline when ballots go to print.