The proposal for new state legislative district lines that will be introduced in the Maryland General Assembly next week would change the boundaries of the 11th District as well as those of the 42nd, which would be divided into two subdistricts.
State Sen. Bobby Zirkin, a Democrat who currently represents the 11th District, said the district would lose some western precincts along the county line with Carroll in exchange for what amounts to a unified Pikesville district.
"I know lots of people in the new areas, so on the one hand, I'm excited that Pikesville is reunified for the first time in 20 years," Zirkin said. "I grew up on the side that was not in the 11th, and I have a lot of friends who still live there.
"On the other hand, I'm very disappointed about losing the parts of my district that I'm losing. I've come to really love representing Reisterstown, Randallstown and some of those areas," he said.
In exchange for Pikesville precincts that Zirkin would pick up in the eastern part of his district — which would extend to Interstate 83 and also include two Cockeysville precincts — he would lose parts of Randallstown, Reisterstown and Owings Mills to the 10th District.
Zirkin said he has heard concerns from residents who would no longer be represented by him — that area would be in 10th District Sen. Delores Kelly's district — but he said if he's not able to get some of those areas back, he'll continue to act as if he were their senator.
"Fortunately and unfortunately, I'm not the one writing the map," Zirkin said. "I was lobbying along with every legislator."
Under the proposed plan introduced in December by Gov. Martin O'Malley's Redistricting Advisory Committee, the 42nd District would see its boundaries expand greatly into the northern area of the county, stretching from the city line at Towson into Hereford, Sparks and the Prettyboy Reservoir.
"I actually drove it a couple days ago. It took two hours," said state Sen. Brochin, a Democrat who currently represents the 42nd. "It's two different districts. It's Towson and way, way up north."
In addition to being exxpanded north, the 42nd District would be divided into two subdistricts, District 42A and 42B, for the three House of Delegate seats that will come from the district. (See map.)
As drawn, the 42B subdistrict would include the residences of incumbent Dels. Bill Frank and Susan Aumann as well as the residences of Wade Kachh, a delegate who currently represents the 5th District, and Joseph Boteler, a delegate in the 8th District.
All are Republicans, and all four would have to run against each other for the two seats in order to stay in office.
The redistricting process is required every 10 years to reflect population changes according to the census — in this case the 2010 version.
The new boundary proposal will be introduced on the first day of the General Assembly session, which opens Jan. 11 in Annapolis. Legislators in the Senate and House can make changes to the proposed map, but if they can't agree, the map proposed by the redistricting panel becomes law after 45 days.