Republicans may have lost the presidential election, but their work in redrawing congressional districts in Pennsylvania and nationwide helped them hold on to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In Pennsylvania, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey was able to follow President Barack Obama back into office but the House race overall was a different story, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
In Pennsylvania, Republicans took 13 of 18 congressional seats, even though Obama won 53 percent of the state vote.
What made the difference for Republicans, not only in Pennsylvania, but in 21 states, was the party's successful redistricting efforts where GOP controlled legislatures redrew many congressional district border lines to favor their candidates. Nationwide, Democrats won the popular vote, but took just 201 of the 435 U.S. House seats.
Democrats complained about the results, saying the districts were manipulated unfairly by the GOP.
Pennsylvania state Sen. Daylin Leach said the ability to gerrymander in one party's or the other's favor should be replaced with nonpartisan methods of redrawing district lines.
"Voters should be electing their representatives. Instead, politicians are handpicking their voters. That's not democracy," Leach said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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