A commission convened by Maryland’s Democratic Gov. Wes Moore recommended a new congressional map Tuesday that targets the state’s lone Republican in the US House.

The proposal, which needs state legislative approval, still faces headwinds in Maryland’s Democratic-controlled state Senate, however.

The commission-backed map takes aim at eight-term Republican Rep. Andy Harris, by adding new Democratic territory – including Maryland’s capital city, Annapolis, and parts of the northern suburbs of Washington, DC – to Harris’ current district in the state’s Eastern Shore.

Moore, considered a potential 2028 White House contender, is pushing Maryland to join Democratic efforts aimed at countering the mid-decade redistricting fight launched last year by President Donald Trump.

Just last week, Democratic lawmakers in neighboring Virginia paved the way for a referendum on a constitutional amendment that could yield their party as many as four additional seats in the House.

Democrats in Maryland outnumber Republicans by a wide margin and currently control both chambers of the state legislature and seven of the state’s eight US House seats.

“At a moment when other states are moving aggressively to redraw maps, and when fundamental voting rights protections face renewed threats, Maryland has a responsibility to lead with urgency,” Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, a Democrat who chaired Moore’s redistricting commission, said in a statement. “Our goal is to ensure our congressional delegation reflects the will of the people, protects representation for historically underrepresented communities, and gives Marylanders a Congress that can serve as a real check on this President.”

The plan, which the commission voted on during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, still faces fierce opposition from a key Democrat, Maryland state Senate President Bill Ferguson.

Ferguson, who served on the commission, has argued that courts could toss out a map eliminating Republican representation as unconstitutional and that Democrats could lose seats in the end. In a statement Tuesday, he argued that the commission had failed to hear from key stakeholders, including election officials, as they weighed the new congressional districts.

“Ultimately, a flawed process has delivered a flawed product,” he said.

The Pride Center of Maryland has been on a funding rollercoaster, after it lost — then got back — a $2 million grant in a matter of days.

The Trump administration last week reversed nearly $2 billion in grant cuts at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grants support programs for mental health and addiction treatment programs.

More than 2,700 grants were impacted.

While it’s keeping the funding, The Pride Center of Maryland is making sure i will keep running if the government decides to change its mind again.

What the funds do

The impact of the center’s $2 million SAMHSA grant can be seen at its clinic, the AmAssi Center.

It’s a one-stop shop for health and wellness, providing services and resources for substance abuse, mental health, and sexual health.

Cheria Johnson, who first found the AmAssi Center while she was in another recovery program, said the center has been a lifeline.

“It gives me a safe space to evaluate my emotions and really get to communicate with other people, the community that’s been through similar experiences as I,” Johnson said.

Lynnae Gantt said she owes the AmAssi Center her life.

“If AmAssi wasn’t here, I would still be on drugs,” Gantt said. “I would still be in a mental spill. I probably would be pretending to be a boy. I just probably wouldn’t be here.”

Keeping things running

Cleo Manago, The Pride Center of Maryland’s CEO, learned the grant was cut late Tuesday night in an email.

He learned the funds were reinstated in another email about two days after that.

“It’s like getting in a car accident and the car accident is over. You’ve lived, but now you have to heal, refocus, and get yourself back in order like you were before that,” Manago said.

Manago said this is the second funding back-and-forth in the second Trump administration. As far as he’s concerned, federal funding’s always at-risk now.

Due to that, Manago is finding ways to diversify how the organization will raise money. He’s planning to try and find new funders and foundations to work with, especially those that aren’t federally-based.

“We are looking at opening up a store to sell merch from The Pride Center of Maryland and other items as a fundraising option,” Manago said.

Manago said it’s about making sure the LGBTQ+ community, and other communities his organization supports, keep getting help.

“I’m glad that I found out about AmAssi through my hard time, because now it’s helping me shape my life into a better time,” Gantt said.