Advocating for Fair Re-districting
The intent of the electoral process is to empower voters and maximize access to elected officials who represent them. The preliminary Senate map does not adequately account for the population shifts from Western parts of the state toward the Southeast that have occurred over the past decade (and which will no doubt continue over the coming decade!). As currently drawn, the “population deviations” of districts within the map favor the other areas of the state (fewer residents per district, on average, hence more representation per resident) over our region (more residents per district, hence less representation). I am also concern ed that the preliminary Senate map divides Latino communities across the state into too many separate districts, diluting the power of Latino voters and communities. This is true not only of the Philadelphia portions of the map, but also in several cities in the Lehigh Valley.