Baltimore County Council Approves Redistricting Map

The Baltimore County Council voted 5–2 on Monday night to approve a new redistricting map designed to increase representation for the county’s growing communities of color. The map creates two Black-majority districts and one majority-minority district on the county’s west side, replacing the single Black-majority district that had existed for two decades.

One new district will have a 57% Black voting population, another 56%. The third will be 44% Black but includes enough Latino and Asian residents to form a majority-minority district. The map also reunites parts of Reisterstown and adjusts precinct lines in the county’s northern and western regions.

Supporters said the plan satisfies the Voting Rights Act and shields the county from another costly lawsuit like the one filed by civil rights groups during a previous redistricting effort, which cost taxpayers $1 million. Baltimore County’s population is about one-third Black and is projected to become majority-minority in the coming years.

The vote followed months of heated public hearings, protests, and divisions among council Democrats. Councilmen Pat Young and Julian Jones opposed the plan, arguing the process was rushed and that the map did not go far enough to reflect the county’s diversity. Both urged delaying the vote before the Oct. 1 deadline to send maps to elections officials.

Activists on the east side had pushed for a majority-minority district to represent communities in Dundalk, Essex, Rosedale, and Middle River, but the council ultimately advanced a compromise plan that focused new districts on the west side.

The final map blends elements of an earlier council draft with recommendations from a redistricting commission. It also reflects the political dealmaking behind last year’s voter-approved expansion of the council from seven to nine districts—the first such change since 1956.

While the process drew sharp criticism for a lack of transparency and political maneuvering, the vote closed a 14-month battle. Council chair Mike Ertel acknowledged the plan pleased no one entirely but said it upheld legal obligations and community priorities. The gallery erupted in cheers after the vote, with many residents celebrating that their neighborhoods would remain intact.