It has recently come to light that Pennsylvania now stands as a crucial state for the Democrats headed into the mid-term election this November. If Democrats do well in that state, it could determine which party will control the House starting in January 2019.
THE BLUE WAVE STARTS IN PA
The good news is that Democrats are predicted to do very well in the upcoming election, according to Vox.
The pendulum started its swing into blue in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional district when Conor Lamb beat out Republican Rick Saccone in a district that President Donald Trump won by 20 points in 2016.
Continuing on the good news tip, just this week House Republican Ryan Costello announced that he would retire, rather than defend his seat, leaving his district easy pickings for Democrats.
GERRYMANDERING
The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court recently decided a case in which the court ruled that the maps in the House Districts there tilted unfairly in favor of the Republicans. The court ordered new maps drawn, and the new district lines leveled the playing field for Democrats, giving them an even more significant advantage come November.
Nick Field, who writes about state politics for WHYY in Philadelphia and PennLive, said:
“It’s a huge prime opportunity for Democrats. If it’s a really incredible year for them, you could swing six seats potentially. If they swing six seats in Pennsylvania, you’re one-quarter of the way there in one state. I think it’s going to be a huge part of the Democrats’ midterm plan.”
CURRENTLY
Currently, Republicans in Pennsylvania hold 13 out of the state’s 18 congressional seats. The Cook Political Report ranked five separate GOP-held seats in Pennsylvania as:
“likely Democrat, lean Democrat, or toss-up.”
There are two other seats that are currently listed as Republican-held, as well. However, even those could end up being competitive because until the primary in May; we won’t know who is running in those districts.
This November, Democrats need to flip 23 seats in the House to win the majority. As you can see, they have a very credible path to winning at least five of them in the state of Pennsylvania alone.
Suffice it to say; it appears as though a wave a blue is sweeping the Keystone State. Here’s hoping it sweeps the state as predicted come November.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
