JUDGING THE SYSTEM:GOOFY KICKED DONALD DUCK AND SCOPA KICKED BACK

Following years of Republican led redistricting District 7 had become one of the most gerrymandered districts in the nation. Its boundary was famously described as “Goofy kicking Donald Duck.”  It lassoed Reading into a Republican stronghold in Lancaster County, distorting representation and giving Republicans a 2:1 advantage in Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation, even though Democrats won most votes statewide.  Fair maps = fair elections and this was not a fair map! 
 
As a result, the League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit, arguing the map violated Pennsylvania’s constitutional guarantee of free and fair elections.  Thanks to the 2015 election of Justices Christine Donahue, Keven Dougherty, and David Wecht, the PA Supreme Court (SCOPA) had a Democratic majority, and they didn’t hesitate to act.  In January 2018, SCOPA ruled the map unconstitutional and drew a new one themselves when the GOP-led General Assembly failed to do so. 

The result? A fairer map. Overall, Pennsylvania gained three Democrats in the U.S. Congress, balancing the split to nine Republicans and nine Democrats in the state. Districts 6 and 4 became competitive, paving the way for Chrissy Houlahan and Madeleine Dean to win seats in Congress.