County once spared from being carved like turkey

Andrew M. Seder
The Times Leader
November 7, 2010

Ten years ago, the process of redistricting was messy, ugly and pitted politician against politician in Harrisburg, each trying to balance what's best for their party with what's best for their districts and themselves.

A plan was on the table by the Republican-controlled legislature, and supported by Republican Gov. Mark Schweiker that would have merged the congressional districts of Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, and Tim Holden, D-Saint Clair, Schuylkill County, setting up a possible clash between the two in the May 2002 primary election.

It also would have created a more solid Republican district for then-U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood, R-Tunkhannock, whose district included traditionally Democratic Lackawanna County.

The plan would have split Luzerne from two congressional districts into three, or as Kanjorski described the plan at the time, it "carves Luzerne County up like a holiday turkey."

Instead, after tense negotiations, Holden's job was put on the chopping block by merging his district with that of Harrisburg Republican George Gekas, who was considered the favorite to win in the redrawn, Republican-favored district. Instead, Holden pulled an upset in 2002.

The change of plan came after Democratic legislators representing Luzerne County sided with Republicans to change the map to favor Republicans but secure Kanjorski's seat and keep Luzerne in two districts instead of three.

In a pure statement of putting people over party, just after the vote, then-state Rep. Kevin Blaum, a Democrat from Wilkes-Barre, said, "There was going to be no (congressional district) map that was good for all Democrats. But we were able to take care of our area."

Just months after the legislature approved the compromise plan, a U.S. District Court panel of judges rejected the plan because the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote" was violated because the congressional districts varied in population by 19 people. The court said that was too wide a deviation, considering that a plan with no deviation among districts was possible.

It was allowed to stay in effect for the 2002 election but retooled for the 2004 election.

At the local level, voters found themselves in different state House districts with different representatives.

Residents of Dallas Borough and the middle and southern districts of Dallas Township, went into the 117th district, now represented by Karen Boback. It had been in the 120th District and represented in the 1990s by state Rep. Phyllis Mundy.

Voters in Swoyersville, Courtdale and Luzerne, who had been in the 119th District, were moved to the 120th District.

Residents in Fairview and Rice townships and part of Wright Township were shifted from the 117th to the 119th.

The state Senate districts were also altered slightly in the county, most notably with Conyngham, Dennison and Slocum townships and Nuangola, Penn Lake Park, and White Haven boroughs leaving Ray Musto's 14th District and entering the 20th District, now represented by Lisa Baker. In more wheeling and dealing, Plymouth Township and Plymouth Borough were switched from the 20th to the 14th and Black Creek, Sugarloaf and Butler townships and Conyngham Borough entered the 27th district, now represented by John Gordner, after it had been in the 14th.

The changes for 2012 could be just as confusing and wide-ranging, said state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, who represents the 121st District.

The county has a two-one registration edge for Democrats and of the 11 legislators that will serve the county next year, eight are Democrats.

Republicans may try to change that by taking seats based in the county and shifting them to neighboring counties, including Wyoming, Monroe, Columbia, Carbon or Schuylkill, where Republicans are more prevalent.

Pashinski said it wasn't a question of if, but how.

"I know that they're going to do it. They're going to manipulate it to their advantage, absolutely. I don't doubt it at all.

"With them having all of that control, I would think it's highly, highly likely," Pashinski said.

He said the Democratic contingency in the county will argue against it, but it will do so without what were its two most powerful voices: House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, of Butler Township and Senate Minority Leader Bob Mellow, of Peckville. Eachus lost his re-election bid to Republican Tarah Toohil and Mellow will retire at year's end.