Gov. Josh Shapiro said Thursday at an event in Falls Township that Pennsylvania will not pursue congressional redistricting efforts, even as other states consider redrawing their maps.
“We’re not doing that here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro told reporters when asked about Texas’ ongoing efforts to potentially draw new congressional maps.
Redistricting and similar moves are being considered in red and blue states, including Texas, New York, California and Indiana.
Redistricting of congressional districts is typically undertaken by states every decade after the U.S. Census Bureau releases its comprehensive study.
Pennsylvania currently has 17 congressional districts, a decrease on one due to population changes in 2020. Of the 17 districts, 10 are held by Republicans.
“I’m focused on the work we’re doing here in our commonwealth,” the Democratic governor said.
The redistricting question arose as states across the country grapple with congressional map changes. Republican-led Texas has the national focal point in redistricting efforts, with some other states entering the partisan battleground ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Pennsylvania completed its own redistricting process following the 2020 census, with new congressional maps taking effect for the 2022 elections. The state’s current maps were approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after the Republican-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf at the time could not reach agreement.
PennLive.com reported earlier this week that Shapiro called Texas’ efforts to redistrict “shameful” and called out Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and President Donald Trump for considering the idea.
Shapiro said Texas Republicans were “bending the rules by rigging the system” if they approved redistricting to help Republicans.
To halt the process, Texas Democratic lawmakers fled the state to pervent the Texas legislature to halt creation of GOP-slanted redistricting, according to the Texas Tribune.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has urged his state’s lawmakers to redraw its electoral maps to help Democrats in response to Texas’ proposal.
Bucks County and part of Montgomery County fall into the First Congressional District, which is represented by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican.
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