Schwartz said his position reflects conversations with voters in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Eastern Shore, Cecil and Harford counties, and part of Baltimore County. He said residents want a representative rooted in their communities and fear a redrawn district could link them with places such as Anne Arundel or Howard counties.

“People here tell me they don’t want this,” Schwartz said in an interview published Oct. 16. He argued Democrats should compete for votes in the district rather than reshape its boundaries to improve their chances.

His opposition puts him at odds with Gov. Wes Moore and other Democrats backing Question 3. Supporters have presented the measure as a response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states, saying Democrats should not leave those efforts unanswered.

Schwartz acknowledged that concern but called the Maryland proposal a misplaced response. He said Democrats risk weakening their arguments about democracy if they target the state’s only Republican-leaning congressional district. He also criticized the Trump administration’s efforts in other states, which he said could reduce minority voters’ influence.

Instead, Schwartz said lawmakers should have used a recent special legislative session to address Maryland’s closed primary elections. Under the current system, unaffiliated voters cannot participate in party primaries, he said, limiting their role in choosing candidates.

Schwartz said his immediate focus is defeating Harris in November, not predicting what a future congressional map might look like. Harris, who also opposes Question 3, said mid-cycle redistricting is wrong regardless of which party benefits. He pointed to former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s push for a nonpartisan redistricting process as a better approach.

Both candidates say a new map could diminish the Eastern Shore’s political voice. Harris warned that connecting rural communities with more heavily Democratic areas elsewhere in the state could leave them with less influence in Congress.

A recent UMBC poll found 53% of respondents opposed Question 3 and 25% supported it. Among Democrats, 42% opposed the measure and 35% supported it. The figures indicate opposition across party lines, though the supplied poll results do not account for the remaining respondents.

Harris accused Moore of pursuing the change for political reasons, including to build his national profile. Moore has not announced a presidential campaign. Harris also said Maryland Democrats first tried to redraw boundaries without a statewide vote before advancing the constitutional amendment.

Question 3 places a broader national fight over congressional representation before Maryland voters, while Schwartz’s break with party leaders underscores divisions among Democrats over whether redistricting is a justified response to map changes elsewhere.