Pennsylvania Supreme Court Oral Argument Focuses on Maps and Unrepresentative Congressional Delegation

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Statement of Micah C.T. Sims, Executive Director of Common Cause PA

Every Pennsylvanian deserves a representative voice in Washington. Unfortunately, our congressional delegation does not reflect the citizens of the Commonwealth because of the legislators who drew the maps for purely partisan gain.

Today’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court oral argument showed a clear focus on the Commonwealth’s congressional maps, the standards dictated for those maps in the state constitution, and of course the woefully and disproportionately lopsided congressional delegation resulting from those maps.

Despite a roughly equal split in votes between the parties in each election since the 2011 redistricting, Republicans have consistently won 13 of the state’s 18 congressional seats. We see unrepresentative delegations in favor of Democrats when they draw the lines and in favor of Republicans when they are in control. This is a symptom of a redistricting process in which self-interested legislators are allowed to manipulate districts for political advantage behind closed doors with no meaningful participation from the people. Pennsylvania’s redistricting process is undemocratic and we sincerely hope that the Supreme Court will agree that the resulting map violates our state constitution. All Pennsylvanians deserve representation in Washington.

To read Common Cause’s brief in League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniaclick here.