From Fair Districts PA (http://www.fairdistrictspa.com):
Today the PA Supreme Court selected a map from among 13 submitted as part of combined litigation surrounding the much-delayed Congressional map.
The court ordered, 4 to 3, that the map known as the Carter plan be adopted immediately. Candidates for statewide office and the new Congressional districts can begin circulating nomination petitions as early as this Friday, February 25.
While we would have been happy to see a district plan created through a collaborative citizen process, the map itself is a good choice. It balances key metrics of compactness, contiguity and limited split jurisdictions. It has a low partisan bias, slightly pro-GOP but far less so than the map passed by House and Senate Republicans and vetoed by Governor Wolf. Only 2 maps do better on providing minority opportunities.
A key factor in the court’s decision may have been that the Carter map was very close to the court’s own 2018 map. While the number of districts went from 18 to 17, in regions with strong population growth, the new districts are very close to the old. Only two incumbents were put into the same district, in CD 15, in north-central PA, an area that saw significant population loss. Several districts will be more competitive. Depending on the election, the outcome could favor either Democrats or Republicans, responding well to the wishes of PA voters.
We appreciate the work of the court and look forward to hearing more about their decision.
While we celebrate final maps, we lament the unnecessary delay, months of confusion and unfortunate tight timeline for PA candidates. We are reviewing all that’s been learned in this redistricting cycle to continue advocacy for the best possible solution for Pennsylvania: an independent citizens redistricting commission with clear, enforceable criteria and genuine public input.
Check our web update for links to the final map, court decision and more.
Leave a Reply