CONGRESSIONAL MAP WOULD DIVIDE INDIANA COUNTY

The congressional map approved yesterday by the State Supreme Court splits Indiana County into two congressional districts.

Seven townships in northern Indiana County – West Mahoning, North Mahoning, East Mahoning, Grant, Montgomery, Canoe, and Banks – would be part of the 15^th Congressional District currently under Republican Congressman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson.  Everything south of there, from South Mahoning, Rayne, and Green townships, would be part of the 14^th Congressional District, stretching to the southwest corner of the state.  The major portion of that are is currently under Republican Congressman Guy Reschenthaler.

Republicans are highly critical of the new map, known as the “Carter Plan” and submitted by a group of Democrats, because it breaks up a number of areas considered safely Republican and places them into Democratic Party strongholds, and forces current Republicans like Thompson to compete against other incumbent Republicans in the spring primary.  Governor Tom Wolf is delighted with the new map, calling it a “fair map…without favor to one party or another.”

A group of Republicans has filed suit in federal court to stop the plan, arguing that the State Supreme Court doesn’t have the constitutional authority to choose a map. The federal court’s intervention would be the only action that could stop the Carter Plan from taking effect.