State Senate District Maps
Despite explicit feedback from many citizens, including a coalition of minority groups, the Senate maps do little to provide fair representation for Latinos. In Philadelphia, the Latino community is split among four districts, whereas FDPA’s model map created an opportunity district in this area. PA’s population has shifted significantly over the last ten years, declining in rural areas and growing in and around cities. The LRC’s Senate map does not adequately represent these shifts. In Southwest and Central PA, the map draws many districts with populations significantly below what might be expected while in Southeast PA, a number of districts are drawn with populations larger than one would expect. This means that individual voters in Southeast PA have less clout. Given that Philadelphia is a majority Black city, with over 42% of the population, this proposed map appears to be playing the old Jim Crow game of disenfranchising Black and now also Latino voters.