Today, the Census Bureau released apportionment data based on the 2020 census count that determines the number of seats each state in the country has in the United States House of Representatives. Based on this new data, Pennsylvania will lose a congressional seat, going from 18 to 17 seats total. 

“With Pennsylvania’s loss of population over the past decade, particularly in the central, northern, and southwestern regions, the National Democratic Redistricting (NDRC) strongly believes that the 15th congressional district in western Pennsylvania should be eliminated. Given population shifts within the Commonwealth, eliminating the 15th district provides the best opportunity to minimize the impact on representation in surrounding districts,” said Fernando Treviño, NDRC Pennsylvania State Director. 

“Currently, Pennsylvania law puts state legislators in charge of the redistricting process, which is, of course, a major conflict of interest. As we saw last decade, the congressional map that was drawn by Republicans in the legislature was one of the most egregiously gerrymandered in the country. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ultimately struck down that gerrymandered map, proving that a lawsuit can ensure fair and equal representation, but we should not have to rely on a lawsuit to get it. NDRC will do everything in our power to ensure that there is a fair and transparent process that results in maps where both parties must compete to win the support of Pennsylvanians at the polls,” continued Treviño.

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