What the Governor of Maine Can Do About Congressional Maps

Every ten years, states redraw their political maps, a process that can define a decade of political power. In Maine, the governor doesn't hold the pen, but their office plays a crucial, and often decisive, role in this high-stakes process.

It Starts With a Bipartisan Commission

Unlike in states where legislative leaders from one party can draw maps in secret, Maine’s process begins with an advisory body designed to foster compromise from the start. A 15-member Apportionment Commission

is formed, with its members appointed by the majority and minority leaders of both the State House and Senate, as well as the chairs of the two major political parties. This bipartisan group is tasked with reviewing census data and drafting the initial proposal for both congressional and state legislative districts. While the legislature is not technically bound by the commission's recommendations, a plan that emerges with broad, bipartisan support from this group has a much stronger chance of success, as demonstrated in the 2021 redistricting cycle when the commission unanimously forwarded its congressional map.

The Legislature Needs a Supermajority

Once the advisory commission submits its plan, the responsibility shifts to the state legislature. Here, Maine has another safeguard against pure partisan control: any redistricting bill requires a two-thirds supermajority vote in both the House and the Senate to pass. This high threshold makes it nearly impossible for one party to ram through a gerrymandered map without some support from the other side, forcing continued negotiation and compromise. If the legislature can achieve that two-thirds consensus on a map—either the commission's proposal or a modified version—the bill then heads to the one person who can upend the entire process: the governor.

The Governor’s Veto: The Ultimate Check

This is where the governor's most direct and potent power comes into play. The governor cannot draw lines or propose their own map, but they can approve or veto the one sent to them by the legislature. This veto power acts as the ultimate quality control check on the entire legislative process. If a governor believes a map is unfairly partisan, splits communities of interest, or otherwise fails to represent Mainers fairly, they can reject it and send it back to the legislature. This forces lawmakers to either muster an even more difficult two-thirds vote to override the veto or, more likely, head back to the drawing board to create a plan the governor is willing to sign. In 2021, Governor Janet Mills signed the maps into law after they passed with strong bipartisan support, highlighting a smooth process.

The Court: The Final Backstop

So what happens if the system breaks down? If the legislature cannot achieve a two-thirds majority, or if they pass a plan that the governor vetoes and they cannot override, the process is officially deadlocked. At that point, the Maine Constitution dictates that the responsibility for drawing the maps falls to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. The court then takes over and completes the apportionment itself. This threat of judicial intervention serves as a powerful incentive for the political branches to find common ground. Neither party wants to risk losing control of the process entirely and having a map imposed upon them by the courts. This structure effectively nudges the legislature and the governor toward a compromise that, while perhaps not perfect for either side, is acceptable enough to become law.