Late this afternoon the new boundaries for the Pennsylvania State House and Senate were revealed. As usual Borys is on top of what it means for Lackawanna and Luzerne counties with a list of what towns will be switching districts. It's hard to visualize without a map to actually look at but I'm sure our local papers will have them tomorrow.
I don't cover Lackawanna County much so I will leave it to my friends at NEPartisan to analyze what this means to citizens north of the border with the move of the 115th to Monroe County and 117th and 118th that have been mostly in Luzerne County getting chunks of Lackawanna.
The 120th represented by Phyllis Mundy appears to have the least change picking up Edwardsville from the 117th which makes it a bit more Democratic as far a registration goes.
Mike Carroll's 118th seat has Monroe County towns taken out and is moving both north and south. According to this Plains Township will now be in the 118th despite being in the 121st for a long time and will now snake up to include some Lackawanna towns such as Moscow. I know both towns and they have different concerns. I live in Plains and we have more in common with W-B than Moscow or Pittston.
The 121st (Eddie Day Pashinski) will still be centered on Wilkes-Barre and W-B Township but will move south to include a part of Mountaintop, more of Hanover and throw in Laurel Run, Sugar Notch and Warrior Run. Ashley moves to the 119th ( I'm not sure how they pulled that one off) and the district makes into the Hazleton Area that has freshman Rep. Gerry Mullery objecting.
I only looked at 3 of the traditional 6 House Districts in Luzerne County and have yet to look at the Senate bounderies but is apparent that the people drawing the lines ignored geography, the common interests of the people invovled and common sense.
It may take 10 years but it would be good idea to take the redistricting process out of the hands of the politicians. Much as I advocate Judge's on Merit. Sometimes we need less politics deciding the ground rules.
Mullery will have to learn there is life outside Nanticoke and Newport Township. He might have to work for some votes next time around. Sounds like now would be a time for Rick Arnold to run.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.redistricting.state.pa.us/Maps/House.cfm
ReplyDeleteLooks like the 119th is mad different now. I am guessing it is no longer 68% Dem. Do you know of a way to see quickly? I have data from the state from the cycle before last but I'd have to go ward by ward.
The 119 is about 28% Republican and 63% Democrat and 9% Other. Mullery has no reason to complain at all as his district is just as Democrat or maybe her more democrat than 2010. He is complaining because he will have to actually leave his hometowns of Nanticoke, Newport and Plymouth.
ReplyDeleteI am hearing Mullery might have a primary fight coming out of hazleton.
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