Just call it Ryan's Nope.
Incumbent Republican Chester County Congressman Ryan Costello, R-6, made official what he has been hinting at now for weeks.
He's not going to run for re-election.
That makes a perfect trifecta of incumbent representatives for the region in D.C.
Pat Meehan: Gone.
Bob Brady: Gone.
Ryan Costello: Gone.
Meehan, R-7, fell on his sword after it was revealed that he used taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual harassment suit filed by a former staffer.v
Brady, D-1, the longtime head of the Democratic Party in Philadelphia, indicated he would not seek another term in Congress, all the while insisting it had nothing to do with a federal investigation that had already ensnared a couple of his key aides. Brady has not been charged.
Now count Costello among those heading for the exit doors.
Consider the ways the region's political landscape has changed in the past couple of months.
First and foremost was the shot heard 'round the world, the decision by the state Supreme Court not only to toss out the old congressional districts, but enact a map of their own.
Meehan's old 7th District seat is now history. All of Delaware County is now housed under one roof in a newly formed 5th District.
So is the 1st, Brady's old turf that used to include a sliver of Delaware County along the river as well as the city of Chester. Now the courts have basically turned that situation upside down, with a part of southwest and south Philly now included with Delco and a bit of Montco along the Main Line in the 5th.
Costello was no fan of that court ruling, at one point referring to it as 'racist,' and joining a group of Republican congressmen in an unsuccessful attempt to have it tossed out.
The new 6th District will make it a much tougher slog for the Republicans in Chester County. That's because the district has now been extended to include a chunk of Berks County, including the city of Reading, where a ton of Democratic votes reside.
Costello hinted that it was combination of things that pushed him over the edge - and out of the race.
But two rise immediately to the top. One, of course, is the map.
But almost as interesting is his clear dislike for current overheated rhetoric that dominates political circles.
He talked about not wanting to expose his family, including his young children, to this kind of political cauldron.
And he admitted that trying to get anything done while fending off the Tweets and statements of President Trump is no walk in the park.
Both Meehan's old 7th seat, now the 5th, and Costello's 6th seat were part of the solid Republican grip on Congress from Pennsylvania. They held a 13-5 majority in the delegation.
Look for that to change.
Ryan's Nope is just the latest example of the tsunami of change sweeping the region.
Comments