Observers say redistricting process needs reforms, should not consider challengers
By Eric Boehm | PA Independent
HARRISBURG — Political fortunes can be made and lost with the drawing of a few lines, and all the power is held by five men the state Capitol.
Every 10 years, when new state Senate and House districts are drawn, there are winners and losers, and 2010 is no different. This time, one of the losers appears to be former state Rep. Tom Houghton, who was preparing to challenge Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester, in next year’s election.
If he chooses to challenge Pileggi, Houghton is going to need a moving van.
Houghton is no longer a resident of Pileggi’s Senate district, which was shifted slightly north and east on the proposed new state Senate legislative map. The proposed new maps will be the subject of public scrutiny at a hearing Friday here.
The new district no longer contains the Houghton’s hometown of West Grove in Chester County, which is now part of a Senate district held by a sitting Democrat, state Sen. Andrew Dinniman.
“The fact that (Houghton) was moved out of the district indicates to me that Dominic Pileggi considered him a threat and a strong candidate,” said Michele Vaughn, chairwoman of the Chester County Democratic Party.
Pileggi is not just the Senate majority leader. He’s on the five-member commission charged with redrawing the state legislative districts.
The state Legislative Reapportionment Commission consists of Pileggi, Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny; House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny; House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny; and former state Superior Court Justice Stephen McEwen, a Delaware County Republican who was appointed by the state Supreme Court to be chairman of the commission.
Pileggi’s office declined to comment.
Houghton announced his candidacy in March, more than 18 months before the election and well before the redistricting process began. In theory, Houghton needed that time to start raising money to challenge Pileggi, who never has had difficulty raising big money given his position as the second-highest ranking Republican in the state Senate.
Pileggi last faced re-election in 2008 and easily defeated Democrat John Linder with more than 58 percent of the vote, despite it being a strong year for Democrats.
According to his most recent finance report, Pileggi’s campaign has more than $1.1 million on hand for his re-election bid as of May. Houghton had about $5,000 in his campaign fund in December 2010, according to his most recent Department of State finance report.
Political observers said the situation is one example of why the Pennsylvania redistricting process needs transparency and reform.
Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that pushes for more transparent government, said the commission should not consider the residences of any particular individual, or the voter registration statistics when new districts are drawn, but there are no prohibitions against such practices in Pennsylvania.
"The Pennsylvania commission has a long storied history of using the process for political purposes,” Kauffman said, including drawing districts to protect incumbents or eliminate potential challengers.
The process also has been used to punish rank-and-file members who refused to toe the party line, he said.
“Redistricting is probably the biggest power play of the decade, and it is a process done by self-interested actors trying to protect themselves,” Kauffman said.
Terry Madonna, professor of political science at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, said politics and potential challengers play a major role in every redistricting process.
"The one thing you learn about politicians when it comes to redistricting is that they are very cautious," Madonna said. "Their political antenna are up through this entire process."
Aren Platt, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, said Houghton’s situation was part of the bigger picture.
“This is a map that breaks not just with tradition but with the intent of the bipartisan commission,” Platts said. “This is map that overwhelmingly favors Republicans across the board.”
