Lancaster County Senate Redistricting Map

Dear Chairman Nordenberg: Thank you for your leadership on the Redistricting Commission. The Senate districts in the Lancaster County proposed map, if adopted, will keep county Democrats under the non-competitive rule of Senate Republicans who will continue their stronghold of their safe seats. The deck is totally stacked in favor of Republicans even though they maintain only a slim 51% majority in Lancaster County. I have lived in suburban Lancaster Township for 44 years and have a friend who lives in very rural Octorara, yet we are represented by the same Republican Senator. Our communities have almost nothing in common. My area is filled with Democratic activism, yet my friend is fearful of ever placing a yard sign on her property because of the history of vandalism and intolerance. The state senator whom we share, knowing he is in a safe Republican seat, only communicates with us in a mailer every four years when he wants to remind us to vote! He has no need to ever work for our votes nor to check with us on our opinions. He has no interest in representing us with his vote. Why would he care with this proposed map? He’s safe for another 10 years. I suggest creating two Senate districts in Lancaster: one that is primarily suburban and urban (central and western part of the county) and one that is primarily rural (shaped like a backward letter “C” around the suburban/urban core). It would allow at least one of the districts to be somewhat competitive. Note: Lancaster Township, Manheim Township, Hempfield Township, Millersville Boro, Columbia, Lancaster City would all be part of the suburban/urban district. This is the only way to allow representative democracy to exist in the Senate map of Lancaster County. Redistricting should not be about safe seats for incumbents. In fact, that should be off the table. Period. Sincerely, Sally B. W. Lyall