Reapportionment Commission's maps bring change to Erie County state House, Senate districts

Significant changes to the 203 Pennsylvania House of Representative districts approved by a five-member Legislative Reapportionment Commission include the loss of one partial district in Erie County.

Residents of Fairview, Harborcreek, Washington, Franklin, Conneaut, Springfield, and Greene townships, and Albion, Edinboro, Platea, Wesleyville, and Lake City boroughs would find themselves in new districts with new representatives under the new map.Residents of McKean and Girard would, as well.

Some residents of the county's two largest municipalities, the city of Erie and Millcreek Township, would be affected, too.

The commission, which is made up of General Assembly legislative leaders and an independent chairman, voted 4-1 on new maps for the state House and Senate on Feb. 4. That opened a 30-day window in which anyone can challenge the map in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

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The lone no vote was cast by House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-171st Dist., Centre County, who said the House map was "being sold as fixing problems of the past, but it doesn’t.

"It creates new ones," Benninghoff said in a statement following the commission's vote. "This map does not create more competitive districts. In fact, it packs Republicans and Democrats into uncompetitive districts. This might change competitiveness on the floor of the House of Representatives, but it does not create fair districts. This map’s competitiveness is so bad that it will only lead to increased polarization, less bipartisanship and more gridlock.”

Fair Districts PA, a nonpartisan group that has pushed for reforms to Pennsylvania's redistricting process, celebrated the new maps.

"These maps are better for the people of Pennsylvania than the legislative maps of the past two decades," Fair Districts PA Chair Carol Kuniholm said in a statement on Feb. 4. "They are more compact, split fewer jurisdictions, and will be more responsive to PA voters."

Big changes for Erie County

The biggest change comes in western Erie County, where state Rep. Brad Roae, R-6th Dist., would represent communities currently served by state Rep. Parke Wentling, R-17th Dist.

Wentling would serve portions of Butler and Mercer counties in the new 17th District, but not parts of Erie or Crawford counties.

Also, the 4th District, which has been represented for 18 years by Republican state Rep. Curt Sonney, who plans to retire at the end of the year, would no longer include Sonney's home turf of Harborcreek Township.

Harborcreek would become part of the 2nd District, which is currently represented by state Rep. Bob Merski, a Democrat.

The 4th District would also stretch westward, taking in Edinboro, McKean, Girard and Lake City, among other areas.

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The domino effect created by those changes would alter the 3rd District, represented by Democrat Ryan Bizzarro. The district would cover all of Millcreek and Fairview townships. Roae represents Fairview now and portions of Millcreek are served by Merski.

Merski would no longer represent 14 precincts in the city of Erie's 6th Ward or the 3rd and 4th Wards. Instead, the new map would trade the entirety of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Wards to the 2nd District in exchange for the entirely of the 6th Ward, which would become part of the 1st District, which is represented by state Rep. Pat Harkins, a Democrat.

The 2nd District would also take in Wesleyville from the 1st District and Greene Township from the 4th District.

"I'm fine with what I've got," state Rep. Pat Harkins, D-1st Dist., said about the new map. "But historically, going forward I don't think it's a good thing."

Harkins, who faces a Democratic primary challenger this year in Erie County Councilman Andre Horton, said it makes more sense for Lawrence Park and Wesleyville to be part of the same district.

New district, but no longer split

As for neighboring Harborcreek, it was originally split between the 4th and 2nd Districts when the Legislative Reapportionment Commission proposed a draft map last year. However, Harborcreek Township supervisors protested the split in a letter to the commission.

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors listed it as among the four most egregious examples of municipality splitting in a Jan. 6 newsletter.

"There are 25 townships that were not previously split, remain below the target size and yet are split this time," the organization wrote.

Supervisors filed a formal objection on Dec. 28, noting that the township and school district have been part of the 4th District for 70 years. Splitting the township as had been proposed ran counter to the redistricting requirements in the state constitution, which calls for compactness, contiguity and minimal boundary splits.

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They also questioned why a rural and suburban area of the township would have been combined with an urban area of the southwest side of the city of Erie.

"If gerrymandering ever needed a definition, this would be it," supervisors wrote.

The new map keeps Harborcreek intact, just in a new district.

"We're happy that they put Harborcreek back together as we requested," Supervisor Dean Pepicello said Thursday. "But with all due respect to the legislator in the 2nd House District, we're not sure a representative from the west side of Erie can adequately represent the needs of Harborcreek Township.

"Legislatively, the city of Erie — and in particular, the eastern and southern parts of Harborcreek — which are fairly rural, are just very different places with very different needs from their state government," he added. "We think a legislator who lives in Harborcreek Township, the third-largest municipality in Erie County, would be far more appropriate. This is not a criticism of Representative Merski. It puts him in an impossible spot to try and represent those two very different areas."

Pepicello said supervisors had a brief discussion about appealing to the state Supreme Court, but "we find it hard to believe that they're going to overturn this map."

Political impact?

Though Harborcreek and Fairview, in particular, would see partisan changes as a result of the new map, the districts themselves won't become any more or less competitive.

Even with the geographic changes, there is little difference in partisan voter registration. Legislative Districts 1, 2 and 3 would still favor Democrats, while Districts 4 and 6 would continue to favor Republicans.

The new map would decrease the number of districts favorable to Republicans statewide based on past election results. Republicans hold a 113-90 seat advantage over Democrats in the Pennsylvania House.

Bizzarro said Republicans aren't the only ones dissatisfied.

"Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly wanted fair districts," he said in a text message to the Erie Times-News. "With these new legislative maps, they've got them. My Democratic members are just as upset as my Republican colleagues. That tells me these maps are fair because both sides walked away from the table thinking their respective caucuses' legislative districts should look better or favor them more.

"In Erie County, these districts are a clear representation of our shift in population to the suburbs and our city's declining population, according to the 2020 census numbers," he added. "Overall, it's a good map for Erie County and for Pennsylvania."

In the Senate

There are a few changes in the 49th Senate District, which is served by state Sen. Dan Laughlin, a Republican serving his second four-year term.

The district would add Edinboro, Mill Village, Union City, Waterford, and Wattsburg boroughs, and Amity, Elk Creek, Leboeuf, Union, Washington and Waterford townships.

The southeast heel of Erie County, which includes the city of Corry, Concord and Wayne townships and Elgin borough, would become part of the 21st Senate District.

Currently, state Sen. Michelle Brooks, R-50th Dist., represents the municipalities that will be added to the 49th and 21st districts in the new map.

Changes, in detail

Here's how state legislative leadership for Erie County communities would change if the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission's final map takes effect. The maps was finalized on Feb. 4, with a 4-1 vote of the commission.

Changes are in bold type. Municipalities in bold under the current district map would no longer be part of the district under the new map. Municipalities in bold under the newly proposed map would be additions to a district.

District 1

• CURRENT MAP: City of Erie, Wards 1 and 2; Portions of Ward 5 (Precincts 1-10, 12-13, 15-19); Portions of Ward 6 (Precincts 2-4); Lawrence Park Township, Wesleyville.

• 2012 Population: 60,428

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 62.81% Others: 14.71% Republicans: 22.48%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 4.50% Black: 20.89% Hispanic: 9.61% White: 58.24% Mixed race: 5.98% Other: 0.77%

• NEW MAP: City of Erie, Wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6) and Lawrence Park Township.

• 2012 Population: 65,227

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 60.99% Others: 14.79% Republicans: 24.22%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 3.12% Black: 16.34% Hispanic: 8.58% White: 65.30% Mixed race: 5.85% Other: 0.81%

District 2

• CURRENT MAP: City of Erie, Wards 3 and 4; Portions of Ward 5 (Precincts 11, 14, 20, and 2); Portions of Ward 6 (Precincts 1, 5-17); Summit Township; Portions of Millcreek Township (Districts 1 and 21).

• 2012 Population: 61,102

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 56.64% Others: 13.51% Republicans: 29.85%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 2.66% Black: 8.39% Hispanic: 5.46% White: 77.86% Mixed race: 4.90% Other: 0.72%

• NEW MAP: City of Erie, Ward 5; Greene, Harborcreek, and Summit townships; Wesleyville.

• Population: 65,669

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 54.16% Others: 12.91% Republicans: 32.92%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 2.89% Black: 10.05% Hispanic: 5.12% White: 77.01% Mixed race: 4.38% Other: 0.56%

District 3

• CURRENT MAP: McKean and Washington townships; Portions of Millcreek Township (Districts 2-20, 22-24); McKean and Edinboro boroughs.

• 2012 Population: 63,364

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 46.65% Others: 12.45% Republicans: 40.90%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 2.71% Black: 2.02% Hispanic: 2.59% White: 88.60% Mixed race: 3.63% Other: 0.44%

• NEW MAP: Millcreek and Fairview townships.

• Population: 65,250

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 46.67% Others: 12.06% Republicans: 41.27%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 3.37% Black: 1.98% Hispanic: 2.71% White: 88.02% Mixed race: 3.52% Other: 0.39%

District 4

• CURRENT MAP: City of Corry; Elgin, Mill Village, North East, Union City, Waterford and Wattsburgh boroughs; Amity, Concord, Greene, Greenfield, Harborcreek, LeBoeuf, North East, Union, Venango, Waterford, and Wayne townships.

• 2012 Population: 60,603

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 38.13% Others: 13.13% Republicans: 48.74%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 0.53% Black: 0.97% Hispanic: 1.71% White: 92.47% Mixed race: 4.01% Other: 0.31%

• NEW MAP: City of Corry; Edinboro, Elgin, Girard, Lake City, McKean, Mill Village, North East, Platea, Union City, Waterford, and Wattsburg boroughs; Amity, Concord, Franklin, Girard, Greenfield, Leboeuf, McKean, North East, Union, Venango, Washington, Waterford and Wayne townships.

• Population: 64,282

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 36.50% Others: 13.94% Republicans: 49.57%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 0.33% Black: 0.81% Hispanic: 1.67% White: 92.57% Mixed race: 4.21% Other: 0.41%

District 6

• CURRENT MAP: Cranesville borough; Elk Creek, Fairview and Franklin townships; Portions of Crawford County. 2012

• 2012 Population: 64,430

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 34.53% Others: 12.23% Republicans: 53.24%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 0.75% Black: 2.31% Hispanic: 1.93% White: 90.81% Mixed race: 3.80% Other: 0.40%

• NEW MAP: Albion and Cranesville boroughs; Conneaut, Elk Creek, and Springfield townships; Portions of Crawford County.

• Population: 64,059

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 33.95% Others: 12.20% Republicans: 53.85%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 0.45% Black: 2.46% Hispanic: 1.62% White: 91.39% Mixed race: 3.70% Other: 0.38%

District 17

• CURRENT MAP: Albion, Girard, Lake City, and Platea boroughs; Conneaut, Girard, and Springfield townships; Portions of Crawford, Lawrence, and Mercer counties.

• 2012 Population: 62,402

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 32.23% Others: 12.40% Republicans: 55.38%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 0.32% Black: 2.18% Hispanic: 1.37% White: 92.81% Mixed race: 2.99% Other: 0.33%

• NEW MAP: Portions of Butler and Mercer counties.

• Population: 65,933

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 26.73% Others: 13.05% Republicans: 60.22%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 0.80% Black: 1.33% Hispanic: 1.23% White: 92.83% Mixed race: 3.43% Other: 0.39%

SENATE

District 49

• CURRENT MAP: Albion, Cranesville, Girard, Lake City, McKean, North East, Platea and Wesleyville boroughs; Conneaut, Fairview, Franklin, Girard, Greene, Greenfield, Harborcreek, Lawrence Park, McKean, Millcreek, North East, Springfield, Summit and

• 2012 Population: 244,074

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 50.54% Others: 13.28% Republicans: 36.18%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 2.62% Black: 8.21% Hispanic: 4.86% White: 79.28% Mixed race: 4.47% Other: 0.55%

• NEW MAP: Albion, Cranesville, Edinboro, Girard, Lake City, McKean, Mill Village, North East, Platea, Union City, Waterford, Wattsburg and Wesleyville boroughs; Amity, Conneaut, Elk Creek, Fairview, Franklin, Girard, Greene, Greenfield, Harborcreek, Lake Erie, Lawrence Park, Leboeuf, McKean, Millcreek, North East, Springfield, Summit, Union, Venango, Washington and Waterford townships.

• Population: 261,100

• Partisan Registration: Democrats: 49.27% Others: 13.34% Republicans: 37.39%

• Racial Breakdown: Asian: 2.43% Black: 7.48% Hispanic: 4.55% White: 80.57% Mixed race: 4.43% Other: 0.54%

SOURCES: Legislative Reapportionment Commission, Spotlight PA

Contact Matthew Rink at mrink@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNrink.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: How new PA House, Senate maps impact Erie County voters, lawmakers