HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a series of challenges to a newly approved set of legislative maps, clearing the way for the start of a shorter-than-usual election season leading to the May 17 primary.
The court ruled that a plan including the new maps — approved by the Legislative Reapportionment Commission and using 2020 census data — did not violate the state or federal constitutions and “is not contrary to law.”
The court laid out a 11-day period for candidates for House and Senate seats to circulate nominating petitions, starting Friday.
That period is half the 22-day period that was available to candidates to circulate petitions in the 2018 and 2020 legislative elections. That means candidates will hit the campaign trail with their petitions less than nine weeks before the May 17 primary.
In 2018, the stretch between the start of the petition period and the primary lasted 13 weeks. In 2020, when the primary was pushed back because of the pandemic, the stretch lasted 18 weeks.
Nine separate challenges were filed to the set of maps that got final approval from the commission on Feb. 4. The court rejected all of them in a single order issued Wednesday afternoon.
One challenge to the commission maps came from Republican House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff of Centre County, who said the House map unnecessarily split at least eight municipalities.
Another challenge was filed by Democratic state Sen. Lisa Boscola of Northampton County.
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