Pennsylvania’s new House map sets off scramble for campaign cash

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Conor Lamb, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, shows a copy of the Bible to members of the media in the speakers ceremonial room before a mock swearing-in with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican from Wisconsin, not pictured, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Thursday, April 12, 2018.

People in Pennsylvania might be confused about their new polling places after a massive new redrawing of the state’s electoral map. All but a handful of voters are now casting ballots in completely different districts.

That confusion, however, may offer Democrats a chance to take control of a handful of Republican seats.

Thanks to a landmark, court-ordered redistricting that redrew the state’s congressional map in March, many of Pennsylvania’s House races this year have been upended by an unusual number of open seats due to resignations and retirements.

Seven of the state’s 18 incumbent members are no longer competing for their seats – and are no longer raising money for re-election bids. That has created a scramble for campaign cash among a large field of challengers.