April 29, 2004

A Good Day for Bush and the GOP in Pennsylvania

By Richard Baehr
The Baehr Essentials On Wednesday, the Supreme Court, by a 5 to 4 vote, rejected a challenge to the Congressional redistricting plan in Pennsylvania that was first used to establish districts for the 2002 House races.  That plan, passed by a legislature with Republican majorities in both houses, and signed by the then—Republican governor (a Democrat, Ed Rendell, was elected in 2002), led to Republicans winning 12 of 19 US House seats in 2002. In 2000, they had won 11 of 21 seats (two Pennsylvania seats were eliminated after the 2000 census). The Supreme Court's action almost certainly means that challenges to the new Texas redistricting plan will also be rejected by the Court.  That plan might add from 4 to 6 GOP members in the Texas delegation.  With the favorable districts in both states, the GOP is likely to not only hold its House majority in the 2004 Congressional elections, but probably add to it. Yesterday's Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania was...(Read Full Article)