Redistricting Likely To Cost One Local Congressman His Job
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Due to a population loss reported in the 2010 Census, Pennsylvania is losing one of its 19 members of Congress.
The seat to disappear will likely be one from this region.
Redistricting is all about politics and with Republicans in control in Harrisburg, computers are designing all sorts of maps with one goal.
That goal is to strengthen the reelection of 12 incumbent Republican congressmen and cut the Democrats from seven to six representatives.
Republican sources tell KDKA-TV's Jon Delano that one of those Democrats is likely to come from this region.
Western Pennsylvania now has seven of Pennsylvania's 19 members of Congress.
Republicans Mike Kelly of Butler, Glenn Thompson of Centre County, Bill Shuster of Altoona and Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair.
Democrats include Jason Altmire of McCandless, Mike Doyle of Forest Hills and Mark Critz of Johnstown.
According to sources, one of these three Democrats is likely to be gone after next year's election.
Altmire seems to be the target. While he and his hometown of McCandless could be tossed into Doyle's 14th Congressional District, sources said it's just as likely that part of his district will be merged into Critz's 12th Congressional District.
That would set up a Democratic primary battle next April.
Altmire's 4th Congressional District now stretches from Lawrence and Beaver through southern Butler and the North Hills of Allegheny County into Westmoreland.
Critz's 12th Congressional District wraps around Pittsburgh to the east through Armstrong, Westmoreland, Indiana, Cambria, and then south into Fayette, Washington, and Greene Counties.
Merging the two districts could leave parts of both districts not in the new merged district. They would then be picked up by surrounding members of Congress.
Republican leaders in Harrisburg and Republican congressmen are still haggling over exactly what this final map will look like.
Whether it's Altmire versus Critz, or Altmire versus Doyle, all three Democrats said they are running for reelection next year.
Gov. Corbett and the Republican legislature need to approve redistricting by January.
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