How many congressional districts in pa

Congressional redistricting starts with reapportionment. Because the U. House of Representatives always has a total of seats, the country must always be divided into congressional districts. States gaining population are most likely to gain House seats while states with stable or declining populations are likely to lose seats. After each state learns its new number of districts, the lines need to be redrawn so that each district has roughly the same number of people. All states have to be redistricted to account for population shifts, but states that have gained or lost seats—like Pennsylvania—tend to have the most changes.

Congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania is done through the regular legislative process. A bill defining district boundaries is passed by both the PA House and Senate and signed by the governor.

If the legislature and governor belong to the same party, that party, can end up with exclusive control over the result. PA House and Senate districts are called state legislative districts. Article II, Section 17, of the Pennsylvania Constitution mandates that these districts be drawn by a five-member commission. Four of these are the majority and minority leaders of the PA House and Senate. In , both of those branches were controlled by Republicans.

Tom Wolf. Political observers expect a contentious debate between Wolf and Republican leadership, who are still at odds over the election and pandemic response. That makes seats in western Pennsylvania a prime target. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, chaired by Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder, released a statement calling for the 15th congressional district to be eliminated because of declining population.

The seat is held by Republican Glenn Thompson. Roddy expects Republican mapmakers will look to draw Lamb and Democrat Mike Doyle into a district together, forcing Democratic primary voters to choose. In Pa. Matt Cartwright in the northeast and U. Susan Wild in the Lehigh Valley. Lamb, a Marine and former federal prosecutor, has been floated as a possible candidate for retiring U.

Democratic U. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan, both of the Philadelphia area, are also potential contenders. Pennsylvania is a state in the United States. Visit us on Twitter Visit us on Instagram. Should their status be reversed because of something they did more than two decades ago, admirable though it may have been?

Nov 11, Senators serve six-year terms with staggered elections. The United States is divided into congressional districts, each with a population of about , individuals. Each district elects a representative to the House of Representatives for a two-year term. Brian Fitzpatrick. Chrissy Houlahan. Guy Reschenthaler. All representatives serve until the end of the current Congress on Jan 3, Follow govtrack. And please consider supporting our work by becoming a monthly backer govtrack on Patreon or leaving a tip.

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