close

Local party officials react to decision to toss congressional map

5 min read
article image -

The expedited timeline for the state Legislature to redraw Pennsylvania’s 18 congressional districts – just as candidates are preparing to begin circulating their nominating petitions – is expected to throw the May primary into chaos, local party and elections officials said moments after the state Supreme Court ruled Monday that the current map is unconstitutional.

“This year? Oh my goodness,” Washington County Democratic Party Chairwoman Linda Andrews said upon learning that the new boundaries would be used for the May 15 primary election less than four months away. “I don’t know what to say. It’s going to be interesting.”

The League of Women Voters and 18 voters across the state challenged the congressional maps that were drawn in 2011, claiming they were gerrymandered to unfairly favor Republican candidates.

The ruling requires the Republican-controlled Legislature to redraw the congressional maps by Feb. 9 and submit them for final approval by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, which must occur by Feb. 15. If a new map isn’t finalized by those dates, the court will work “expeditiously” to craft its own map, using evidence produced when the case was in Commonwealth Court.

That timeline runs into the Feb. 13 date on which candidates may begin circulating nominating petitions to be placed on the primary ballot. That means candidates and campaign workers could unknowingly be stumping for signatures in the wrong districts.

Joseph DiSarro, a Republican and political science professor at Washington & Jefferson College, scoffed at the high court’s decision, calling it “judicial overreach” and doubting it could be implemented under the current timeline.

“This is nowhere near enough time to redraw the entire map of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” DiSarro said. “I do not believe we’ve seen the end of this or that these dates are even possible. I’m just baffled by it. How would you do this?”

That question now falls to the Pennsylvania Department of State. The court’s decision prompted Acting Secretary of State Robert Torres to call an emergency meeting with other state elections officials Monday afternoon to discuss how to proceed and whether certain election deadlines – or even the May 15 primary itself – must be delayed.

“We’re looking at that right now,” said Department of State spokeswoman Wanda Murren. “We’ll do what we have to do to hold good elections. But we don’t have any firm plans at this point.

“Obviously this is something we knew was a possibility.”

She pointed to testimony by Jonathan Marks, the state elections commissioner, who in December asked the state courts to finalize any changes to the boundaries by this week. He added that the acceptance of nominating petitions could be pushed back, but if the final maps are not in place by Feb. 20, then the primary election should be delayed, and held as late as midsummer.

Monday’s decision will not affect the upcoming March 13 special election to fill former congressman Tim Murphy’s seat in the 18th District. Democrat Conor Lamb of Mt. Lebanon and Republican Rick Saccone of Elizabeth are vying to fill the rest of Murphy’s existing term, but the redistricting could make the winner a stranger in his own district for the primary and general elections if new maps are implemented.

While state law does not require a congressional candidate to live in the district he or she intends to represent, it does help to prevent the accusation of being an outsider.

“It’s going to be very difficult,” said Dave Ball, vice chairman of the Washington County Republican Party. “Until you know where the districts are, it’s going to be very difficult. I would say the prudent candidate will begin circulating the petitions in whatever district they think it will be. Then they’ll have to review the districts and see if they conform.

“It’s not going to be easy.”

Greene County Elections Director Tina Kiger said her office will wait to learn more from the state if changes are announced, but she was not overly worried since the petitions are filed through the state.

“I would assume we’ll go ahead as planned until we hear what the news is going to be,” Kiger said. “It’s really not going to affect our office, per se, because we’re not handing out any petitions for these races.”

Larry Spahr, director of elections in Washington County, said he’s focusing on how the new districts might change the voting precincts.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what they come up with to conform with what the Supreme Court ruled and how it will affect the precincts in these legislative districts,” he said. “Based on the timetable, it sounds like they want the Legislature to move quickly.”

Barring an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court asking for a stay, as some state Republicans are suggesting, what happens next is anybody’s guess.

“Depending on how they draw them, it might be wonderful, and it might not be,” said Andrews, the Washington County Democratic chairwoman. “I would hope it would be fair and equitable, but only God knows.”

Regardless of what happens, Andrews had advice for potential candidates.

“Soldier on. Don’t quit,” Andrews said. “If you’re running for office, you have to learn to be more flexible.”

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today