PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Redistricting happens once a decade after a census. It's relatively new in Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to choose the new map that lays out how many congressional representatives we have and what areas of the state they represent.
The new map includes slight changes for voters in northeastern Pennsylvania and one big change for voters in central Pennsylvania.
The state previously had a total of 18 districts, 18 representatives we send to Washington DC. After the 2020 census, it was decided that Pennsylvania would lose one district.
The domino effect of losing a district means some changes for many voters in our area.
- The 8th District does not change; Democrat Matt Cartwright will still have Lackawanna and half of Luzerne County.
- Democratic Representative Susan Wild's 7th District in the Lehigh Valley picks up voters in Carbon County.
- The 9th District will now expand into the northern tier. This is currently Republican Dan Mueser's district.
- The biggest change comes in central Pennsylvania; the 12th District disappears.
- The 15th District stretches from northwestern Pennsylvania all the way through Union, Snyder, and parts of Lycoming Counties.
That means freshman Rep. Fred Keller loses his district.
Rep. Keller announced Wednesday afternoon that he is hoping to have a future in Congress, but he will run in a new district. Keller plans to run in the 9th District, which is just to the east.
That would put him head to head against the Republican incumbent Dan Meuser. We reached out to Rep. Meuser's office, but we have not heard back.
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