Courts make final decision on boundaries

The new map of Pennsylvania’s 18 Congressional districts will remain in place for the primary elections.

In rapid fashion Monday two court rulings delivered the word that the horde of candidates looking to run for Congress has been waiting for. The new Congressional map of Pennsylvania’s districts will remain in place for the primary elections.

Candidates interested in running for Congress from Pennsylvania have until 5 p.m. today to file their nominating petitions.

They finally got answers to the big question that has been hanging over the race. Now all they need is the requisite 1,000 signatures.

First a panel of federal judges rejected an appeal from Republican members of Congress, including Chester County Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6.

That was followed about an hour later from the U.S. Supreme Court that they would not get involved in a challenge filed by Republican members of the Pa. House and Senate.

Republicans had offered two challenges to the new map enacted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which basically obliterated the old 1st and 7th Districts in the suburbs.

The state Supreme Court ordered Republicans in the state Legislature, who drew up the map in 2011 after the 2010 census, to submit another one to Gov. Tom Wolf. Before doing so, Republicans challenged the edict in court. They lost. They barely beat the deadline to submit their new, revised map. That map was promptly rejected by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf.

The high court then accepted several submissions but eventually created its own map.

State Republicans filed appeals with both the U.S. and state Supreme Courts. For several weeks, the only thing coming from the court has been silence.

But the confusing cleared up in rapid fashion Monday afternoon, a little more than 24 hours before the filing deadline for candidates.

Of course making all this ever more interesting is the fact that two of the region’s incumbent congressmen, Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7 of Chadds Ford, and Rep. Bob Brady, D-1 of Philadelphia, have decided not to seek re-election. Meehan, of course, got entangled in using taxpayer money to settle a sex harassment suit filed by a former staffer.

Brady, who saw several key aides indicted by the feds in connection with paying off a primary challenger to get out of the race, also decided to leave Congress, while noting it had nothing to do with the cloud that has hung over the 1st District now for more than a year.

A horde of candidates from both parties are seeking the nomination for the newly minted 5th District.

The period to gather signatures on nominating petitions for Congress was extended because of all the legal battles. The deadline is today.

All of this created no small amount of confusion among both candidates and voters. Candidates were up in the air about what district they might decide to run in, and even if they are a resident of whatever district eventually is left standing.

While candidates for Congress do not have to live in the district in which they are running, it is usually considered a anchor around a candidate’s neck if they are not a resident.

How confusing was it? Take the results of last week’s special election in the 18th District in western Pennsylvania. Both the winner, Democrat Conor Lamb, and Republican Rick Saccone, already have indicated they plan to run in different districts in the fall general election – if that new map remains in place.

Candidates also had to be concerned about the signatures they have gathered on their nominating petitions.

Without yesterday’s rulings, there could have been questions about the signatures gathered by candidates, and if they were valid due to residents actually living in the district.

Voters also were equally confused about what district they now reside in, let alone trying to plow through this long list of candidates.

None of this has stopped an unprecedented cavalcade of candidates seeking their party’s nod in the new 5th District.

This race could well be one for the record books.

And now we finally know what the district actually will look like.