Redistricting, the once-per-decade pot of The redrawing of the map is necessary In South Jersey, the new districts vary political gumbo that stirs together every 10 years to reflect population only slightly from the current boundaries, Redistricting incumbent self-interest, demographics, and changes. The 2010 census showed that but in Southeastern , much geography, was back in the news last week Pennsylvania and grew more more aggressive redrawing took place. with the announcement of new slowly than states in the South and West, The new districts, shown below, come congressional boundaries in Pennsylvania and both states lost one seat in Congress as into play starting with next year’s elections. the Region and New Jersey. a result. — John Duchneskie

= County boundaries N.J. Third Rep. Jon Runyan (R) Republicans and Democrats have alternated representation N of the Third Congressional District since the late 1800s. MILES But the latest congressional map excises the Democratic BERKS Princeton 0 5 voting bloc of Cherry Hill, the only piece of Camden COUNTY 8th County encompassed in a district that includes large Reading PENNSYLVANIA swaths of Republican-leaning Burlington and Ocean BUCKS Counties. Cherry Hill, a township of about 71,000, voted nearly 2 to 1 for President Obama in 2008 and favored COUNTY Ewing MONTGOMERY former Democratic U.S. Rep. by a ratio of 1.5-to-1 in the 2010 election. Adler lost to former COUNTY Pottstown Lansdale pro-football player JonTrenton Runyan, a Republican now serving his first term in Congress. The new also district includes Brick, a township of about 75,000 in Ocean County where Horsham voters favored Republican Sen. John McCain by a 1.5-to-1 6th ratio during Levittownthe 2008 presidential election. — Joelle Farrell Willow Phoenixville Grove LANCASTER Norristown Bristol COUNTY King of 13th Prussia CHESTER COUNTY 2d Willingboro Radnor Ardmore Cinnaminson Mt. Holly Upper Darby PHILA. Moorestown Coatesville West Chester 3d Camden Mt. Laurel Springfield Marlton BURLINGTON Haddonfield DELAWARE 1st COUNTY 16th 7th COUNTY Chester Woodbury Cherry Hill GLOUCESTER COUNTY 1st CAMDEN The new district for Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan has been singled COUNTY Pa. Seventh out as an example of unabashed gerrymandering. Its jigsaw-puzzle Rep. Patrick Meehan (R) shape has raised criticism that it was drawn to excise Democratic areas Glassboro in favor of more solidly Republican ones. Meehan’s new district includes parts of five counties, some of which arguably have different cultural2d and Williamstown geographic identities: Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, Lancaster, and New Berks. Some heavily Democratic towns in Delaware County with sizable What’s my district? boundary African American populations — Upper Darby among them — were NEW JERSEY For an interactive map comparing snipped out. Meehan has been considered one of the more vulnerable the current and new congressional Current House members in 2012, representing a district carried by Democratic boundaries for Pennsylvania and boundary presidential candidates in 2004 and in 2008. New Jersey, go to — Angela Couloumbis www.philly.com/redistmap

SOURCES: Pa. Legislative Data Processing Center; N.J. Redistricting Commission; The National Atlas JOHN DUCHNESKIE / Staff Artist