Dividing Howard: A History of County Council Redistricting in Howard County, Maryland

This book tells the story of county council redistricting in Howard County, Maryland, going all the way back to the beginning of modern Howard County politics at the creation of the planned community of Columbia. You’ll learn how Howard County does council redistricting, why Howard County does council redistricting in the way it does, and indeed why Howard County has council districts (or, for that matter, a county council) in the first place.

It’s an entertaining and even exciting story (really!) that includes heated disputes between the Democratic and Republican parties, internal fights between factions within the Democratic party, epic battles for political power between Columbia and the rest of the county, both failed and successful petition drives and referendums, multiple court cases (including one featuring a former U.S. attorney general), and provocative quotes from Howard County politicians past and present.

The entire saga illustrates that there is truly nothing new under the sun when it comes to Howard County politics, and may provide some useful perspective for both current and future redistricting controversies. It's a must for anyone interested in Howard County politics or Maryland politics in general.