New Pennsylvania congressional map may have significant impact in Swissvale

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently released the new congressional map, which kept most of the districts intact, except locally with the elimination of District 18.

Instead, the district once represented by retiring Congressional Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Forest Hills) will be split into two. Constituents will now vote in either District 17 or District 12.

The new 12th District is more like the former 18th District, including Pittsburgh and many eastern and southern suburbs. Now it will also include Westmoreland County communities such as Murrysville, North Huntingdon, Penn Township, Sewickley Township, Jeannette, and a portion of Hempfield.

While the 17th District, which encompasses the entirety of Beaver County, parts of Butler County, and Mt. Lebanon, will pick up parts of Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, Churchill, Braddock Hills, Forest Hills, and Swissvale.

This is a change that some believe will have a significant impact on one community, Swissvale.

Swissvale, once a part of District 18, is the only voting area in the county to be split and 1 of 16 in the entire state.

“This is the precinct in Swissvale that got split,” said State Rep. Summer Lee (D-Allegheny).

Lee currently serves as the state representative for the 34th District and is running for Doyle’s former congressional seat.

But what does this change mean for voters in the Swissvale community?

“Folks in the same exact polling place will have two different ballots, with two different congressional folks on it,” said Lee.

In Swissvale it’s just a matter of steps, for example, one portion of a street can be considered District 12, while if you go just across the street that would be considered District 17.

“From my mom’s block to the next block, those are two different congressional districts,” Lee, said.

And how will this impact democratic candidates like Jerry Dickinson, Councilwoman Bhavini Patel, and Rep. Summer Lee who’ve already announced their plans to run?

Lee who lives in Swissvale and Patel in Edgewood have both been cut out of their own districts. Both will still run in the 12th race – but Lee has concerns.

“Redistricting can have far-reaching implications, particularly for most vulnerable communities; our Black communities, our Brown communities, poor and working-class communities,” said, Lee.

The former 18th District was a deeply blue community, and Lee explained the split now lumps parts of Swissvale located just outside of the city with Beaver County.

“It’s not just the difference in geography, it’s the difference in demographics and political ideologies,” said Lee.

In two months, the impact of redistricting will be seen as voters in Swissvale cast their ballots.

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