Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Casey endorses Houlahan, Costello challenges map
On Tuesday, Democratic candidate Chrissy Houlahan received her most impressive endorsement in her run for the U.S. House of Representatives, securing the support of the state’s senior U.S. senator as Democrats hope to turn a new congressional district map to their advantage in the Philadelphia suburbs.
“I’m proud to endorse Chrissy Houlahan for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District,” said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. “Chrissy is
an Air Force veteran who has served our nation and dedicated her life to improving economic and educational opportunity in southeastern Pennsylvania. From her time as a high school teacher in Philadelphia to her work on improving childhood literacy in underserved communities, Chrissy has proven to be an effective, passionate advocate for our children. On top of that, she’s a business leader who’s created hundreds of jobs in her community.
“Chrissy’s background, record of results, and passion for service will give her the ability to get things done in Congress, and she has my support,” Casey said of the Tredyffrin resident. Houlahan, who is making her fist run for public office and who was last week endorsed by the Chester County Democratic Committee, was grateful for the support.
“I am humbled to receive Senator Casey’s support for my campaign for Congress and thank him for his service to Pennsylvania families,” Houlahan said in a press release. “I truly never thought I would run for public office before, but it is clear that the U.S. House of Representatives is broken. Our current representative, Ryan Costello, has repeatedly put his donors before his constituents here in the 6th (district).
“Unlike many of our current representatives, I have spent my career in service and if elected, will bring my experience to Congress to create good jobs, expand access and affordability to health care, improve and strengthen education, fight for veterans and hold this administration accountable,” she said.
Houlahan was one of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s initial “Red to Blue” candidates and has received numerous endorsements, including EMILY’s List, VoteVets, End Citizens United, Plumbers Local 690, Plumbers Local 520, American Postal Workers Union Local 7048, Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, and U.S. Reps. Brendan F. Boyle, D13th, of Philadelphia, Matthew Cartwright, D-17th, of Scranton, and Dwight Evans, D-2nd, of Philadelphia.
Casey’s endorsement comes about two weeks after the state Supreme Court issued a new congressional map for the state, after finding earlier that the previous map drawn by the state’s General Assembly in 2011 was unconstitutionally gerrymandered. The decision redrew the 6th Congressional District that is currently served by Costello, a two-term incumbent.
The new map put all of Chester County into one district, the 6th. But a legal challenge to the court’s decision filed by multiple Republican congressmen whose district’s were affected by the new map, including Costello, has clouded the question of which voters will be included in the districts when they go to the polls in May.
Costello, of West Goshen, has delayed making any formal announcement of his re-election plans until the challenge filed in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg is acted on. He has been endorsed by the Republican Committee of Chester County, and nominating petitions with his name have begun circulating, according to reports. But the committee left open the question of whether voters in areas such as the southern and central areas of the county, now in the 16th and 7th Congressional Districts, will be included in the new district or remain in their old districts.
The complaint that Costello and his GOP colleagues filed in Harrisburg argued against the legality of the map put in place by the state Supreme Court, and asks for an injunction to prevent the Department of State from implementing the new plan. The federal court could order the new map to be put on hold until after the 2018 election as the congressmen’s case moves forward.
The Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center, which helped argue the successful case against the 2011 map in the state courts, called the Republican lawsuit “baseless” and in a federal court filing said independent analysts found the court’s map shows no sign of partisan bias. The law center also said that Republicans who control the state Legislature never tried to pass a replacement map in the time allotted by the court.
A separate legal challenge to the new map by two senior Republican legislative leaders is currently awaiting action by the U.S. Supreme Court.