Murrysville, North Huntingdon Republicans blast new congressional map; Democrats invigorated by changes

Republicans in Westmoreland County towns included in a redrawn congressional district based in Pittsburgh said they fear their communities will be excluded from key decision-making and have a reduced voice in national politics.

Meanwhile, local Democrats said the move to align the county’s largest municipalities with traditional Democratic enclaves will invigorate a political party that in recent years has seen its numbers in sharp decline.

For decades, Murrysville has been a key Republican stronghold in the county.

“We’re not happy with how the districts were drawn,” said Jill Cooper, a member of the state Republican committee from Murrysville and a former chairwoman of Westmoreland County’s GOP committee. “Pittsburgh’s issues are not our issues. They’re totally different. The (congressional) district does not represent the best interest of our community.”

After Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature failed to reach a compromise on a new map, the state Supreme Court last week approved a new plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts. Pennsylvania lost a seat based on updated U.S. Census figures and now has 17 congressional districts.

Murrysville and its more than 21,000 residents, along with Irwin, North Huntingdon, Jeannette, Sewickley Township and parts of Hempfield, will shift to a revised 12th Congressional District that is currently represented by Democrat Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills. Doyle announced he will retire at the end of this year.

Democrats are projected to account for more than 61% of registered voters in the new 12th District.

Since 2018, Murrysville has been part of a Republican-­leaning district represented by Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, that included most of Westmoreland County. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Murrysville was part of a congressional district that stretched into Allegheny County and where Democrats held sway.

Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 3,200 registered voters in Murrysville.

“When I heard about the new district, I thought, ‘Oh my God, we’re back to where we were,’ ” Cooper said.

Democrat Michelle McFall, a political operative based in Murrysville, described her hometown’s inclusion in the 12th District as a win for her party.

“We haven’t seen Democrats elected in Westmoreland County for quite some time. Now we will have representation from both parties,” McFall said. “This has the potential to see increased Democratic turnout at the polls from a lot of people who have felt betrayed, beleaguered, beaten down and unwanted when they tried to reach out to Republican elected officials.”

Steve Cleaveland, chairman of a North Huntingdon-area GOP committee, said the move will limit his constituents’ influence on national politics.

North Huntingdon, the second-largest town in the county with more than 31,000 residents, was considered a strong Democratic base a decade ago but since has shifted to the right. Republicans account for more than 11,600 voters in North Huntingdon and hold a voter registration edge of more than 2,500 over Democrats.

“We’re not happy,” Cleaveland said. “We’re going to have less representation.”

Diana Gray, a retired educator from North Huntingdon, has been active in local Democratic politics for the past several years and predicted the district shift will invigorate her party.

“There’s a fierce group of Republicans in this area,” Gray said. “It gives Democratic voters in North Huntingdon some hope that our voices will be heard.”

Hempfield, the largest community in the county and among the most populous municipalities in the region with more than 40,000 residents, will be split between two congressional districts. The portion of the township west of Greensburg will be part of the 12th District.

“It caught us off guard. How it affects us, I guess time will tell,” said George Reese, a Republican and chairman of Hempfield’s Board of Supervisors. “We will have to work both ends, getting both individuals on the same page to understand our needs. We will now have two individuals we can call up, and that could be a positive.”

Those likely will be Reschenthaler and whoever wins the 12th District race.

State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, criticized the new congressional map as one that is based on politics to favor Democrats.

“As a result,” she said, “Pennsylvanians have a cracked and packed map that affects the direct representation of rural and suburban Pennsylvania communities fusing the most conservative populations with the most progressive parts of urban areas.”