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New maps, new results

Democrats captured a majority in the PA House by one seat, as the 151st district in Montgomery County flipped from Republican to Democrat. One of the reasons: a new map. When a bipartisan commission redrew the General Assembly districts after the 2020 Census, nonpartisan redistricting advocates and experts alike praised it for following criteria in state and federal law, such as compactness and minimizing the division of counties and municipalities. But the new map also takes into account population and demographic shifts of the past decade, providing better opportunities in some areas for communities of color to elect candidates of their choice. No map is perfect and this one has its critics, but it resulted from a far better process that should set the standard for 2031.

Fairer maps: As Fair Districts PA chair Carol Kuniholm put it to Pittsburgh’s WESA: “With a map that reflects the population more evenly, there’s the possibility that everybody’s voice will be heard, that everybody’s concerns will be heard, and that we will be represented more fairly.”



Solid turnout: Though down slightly from 2018 in Philadelphia, turnout statewide (55 percent) rose by 3.3 percent—the biggest increase of any state, according to the U.S. Election Project. Turnout in Montgomery County, home of the 151st District, was a whopping 68.5 percent.

Philly’s 2023 mayoral race takes shape

Former council member Allan Domb and grocer Jeff Brown formally announced their candidacies for mayor this week, joining Derek Green, Cherelle Parker, Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Controller Rebecca Rhynhart, who resigned their public offices earlier this fall to make the run. Councilmember Helen Gym is expected to add to the fast-growing Democratic primary field, and Councilmember David Oh is rumored to considering a run for the Republican nomination. The Philadelphia Citizen sorts out the candidates and the issues.

Council races, too: If Gym announces her mayoral candidacy, her seat will also become vacant, adding to the turnover in City Hall and likelihood that the May 2023 Democratic City Council primary will have no shortage of candidates. (In 2019, 30 Democrats and seven Republicans ran for at-large seats in the primary.)

So far, former Kenney administration education official Michael Galvan and public interest attorney Rue Landau, both Democrats, have said they’re running for at-large seats, as has Republican Drew Murray, who also ran in last week’s special election.