Benninghoff Votes Against Final State House Map
HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin), a commissioner on the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission, on Friday voted against the final state House map put forward by Legislative Reapportionment Commission Chairman Mark Nordenberg and supported by the other Democrats on the commission.
Of the many issues with the final plan, Benninghoff particularly noted how the House map will dilute minority votes at the expense of saving Democrat incumbents.
"On its face, this map dilutes minority voting power in order to preserve districts for white Democrat incumbents," Benninghoff said. "I cannot think of any worse use of this commission’s power than to put forward and then advance a plan that significantly hurts the likelihood of minority representation in the General Assembly, especially since last year’s decennial census data showed the largest population growth over the past 10 years was in the Latino community."
In addition, Benninghoff noted that the plan does not create fair districts, but rather creates new problems that will be forced upon Pennsylvania due to the map creators subordinating the neutral, constitutional redistricting criteria for partisan gain.
“The Commission Final Plan is being sold as fixing problems of the past, but it doesn’t. It creates new ones. 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.,” Benninghoff said.
“While some on this commission have believed their path to the majority only lies in hijacking the work of this body, I felt like we are called to a higher standard. Unfortunately, the impact of the poor, politically motivated decisions some commissioners will make today will outlast this temporary commission to the detriment of Pennsylvania communities.”
Representative Kerry Benninghoff
Pennsylvania House Majority Leader
171st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives