More Odenton in District 21?

The majority of Odenton would fall into Maryland's legislative District 21 under the redistricting plan submitted by Gov. Martin O’Malley last week.

Under the proposal, Odenton would no longer be split among three districts, but would instead be split between District 21 and District 32.

All of Piney Orchard and the eastern half of Odenton would fall in District 21, while Seven Oaks and some other neighborhoods to the west and north would be in District 32.

District 21 is one of 13 districts in the state that cross county lines.

O'Malley's plan is largely drawn from recommendations by the Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee, which met last year and presented its plan in December.

The redistricting plan will become law by the 45th day of the legislative session, unless the General Assembly adopts a different plan before then.

The newly-drawn districts would be outlined as follows:

District 21: Would include all of Piney Orchard and neighborhoods along Maryland Route 175 all the way to Maryland Route 3. Anything north of Waugh Chapel Road in Gambrills would be in District 21.

This district would stretch west to include most of Laurel and south to include College Park, Berwyn Heights and Beltsville.

District 21’s representatives are Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-College Park) and Delegates Barbara Frush (D-Beltsville), Ben Barnes (D-College Park) and Josalyn Pena-Melnyk (D-College Park).

District 32: Would include the area west of Maryland Route 170 and north of Route 175, including all of Seven Oaks and Fort Meade. The district would include the new apartments at the Village at Odenton Station near the MARC station.

District 32 would also stretch west to include Jessup and Maryland City. It would stretch north to include most of Hanover, portions of Severn and Linthicum and parts of Glen Burnie.

District 32’s current representatives are Sen. James E. “Ed” DeGrange (D-Glen Burnie) and Delegates Pam Beidle (D-Linthicum), Theodore Sophocleus (D- Linthicum) and Mary Ann Love (D-Glen Burnie).

The Reaction

Initial reaction to the new redistricting plan has been mixed, especially in Piney Orchard, which was once split among Districts 21, 32 and 33A.

Piney Orchard Community Association President Jeff Andrade said he understood the rationale of making the community part of the same district, but still wondered why it had to be included with Laurel and towns in Prince George’s County. In Andrade’s view, the district does not follow traditional principles of being “compact and contiguous.”

“We’re being added to a district that was already one of the most gerrymandered districts in the state,” Andrade said. “Out of all of the options, this one made the least sense.”

Andrade said he would have preferred to see Odenton included in District 33A, which includes most of Gambrills and Crofton. Those communities, he said, share similar concerns over issues like traffic, development and education.

“There’s more of a common interest there,” he said.

Scott DiBiasio, a Piney Orchard resident and Republican who ran for delegate in District 21 in 2010, said in an email interview that he likes the redistricting plan because it does not divide the community among multiple elected officials. But he said he was unsure if it would lead to additional Anne Arundel County residents in the state legislature. He acknowledged District 21 would comprise a larger portion of conservative-leaning Anne Arundel County, but said he still felt Republicans would have a hard time getting elected.

“I think this is a positive development and will allow for Piney Orchard residents to have one set of state-elected officials,” said DiBiasio, a Republican who ran for delegate in District 21 in 2010, in an email. “However, the fact that all three incumbent Delegates are from far off Prince George's County is still tremendously problematic.”

DiBiasio said he would have preferred that District 21 be split into two sub-districts, with the Anne Arundel County portion comprising a single-member district.

Rosapepe on Tuesday announced he has formed an advisory group to explore the possibility of running for comptroller in 2014. If he runs, that could open at least one seat for a new candidate.

“My hope is that good folks from Anne Arundel County (maybe even from Piney Orchard), and preferably Republicans, would stand up and run legitimate campaigns for those seats,” DiBiasio wrote in an email. “Whether or not they would have a fighting chance of winning in this overwhelmingly Democrat district is another story entirely.”

At least one District 21 legislator does not fear losing her seat as a result of the redistricting.

“Regarding the redistricting plan, I am looking forward to representing my new constituents,” Pena Melnyk said Tuesday in an email. “I always give 100 [percent] of my time, and I won’t change. As long as I do my job right and remain responsive to the community, I see no problem in keeping the seat.”