This letter was submitted to LebTown. Read LebTown’s submission policy here.
As the Independent Candidate for the 48th Senatorial District, I am dismayed that your April 9 article about another candidate states, “The 48th District includes Lebanon County and small parts of York and Dauphin Counties.”
The 48th is an extremely gerrymandered district. Thousands of citizens reside in York and Dauphin Counties and have had no effective representation for a decade.
The York County section composed of nine municipalities extends from the Susquehanna River to the border of the City of York. 62,906 citizens according to the 2010 census. There are 9 municipalities in the Dauphin County section with a 2010 total population of 59,620. Total: 122,526.
Lebanon County in the 2010 census was 133,568.
Another important fact is that there is no bridge across the River that connects the York County section to the rest of the District. Both Republicans and Democrats who reside in either of these Counties have tried to be the nominees of their respective parties and failed to get their Party leaders’ nominations in the Special Election process.
I am campaigning for no more gerrymandering and I am committed to representing not only my native County of Lebanon but citizens throughout this meandering District. This is the year when redistricting will be done and I assure the citizens of the 48th that I will fight for drawing the best lines possible for effective representation.
With Lebanon County’s population growth, the County should remain “whole,” and I will immediately ask for citizens’ input as to what municipalities in adjoining counties make the most sense to be part of the new Senatorial District.