Pennsylvania’s newly redrawn 10th Congressional District—which now encompasses both Harrisburg and York—is getting a new candidate.
Christina Hartman, who lost a high-profile congressional race to Republican Lloyd Smucker in 2016, is jumping into the 10th after leaving her Lancaster County district.
Hartman said the days since Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court redrew the congressional map have been tumultuous.
“Gut wrenching,” she said, when asked how the transition has been. “Changeable by the minute or the hour, depending on the day.”
When the maps were redrawn, the 16th District, where Hartman had a longstanding congressional bid, morphed into a new, much-more-Republican friendly 11th District.
Meanwhile the new 10th District swung left, putting GOP incumbent Scott Perry in peril.
Hartman said the choice to switch was tough, but obvious.
“This is a very natural fit, because it is still Central Pennsylvania…we’re now working with people just over the river, 20 miles from my house, not even,” she said.
Plus, she added, “there is a terrific, terrific opportunity here for the Democrats to take this seat. And in addition to that, I think people are just ready for change.”
Hartman previously lived in Lancaster, and is now in the process of renting an apartment and moving her campaign to Harrisburg.
She’s now the highest profile Democrat hoping to challenge Perry.
Republicans in the state legislature are still appealing to higher courts to get the congressional maps reverted.
Hartman said she’s keeping that in mind, but isn’t making any more contingency plans.
“At this particular juncture at my life, having just made a very difficult decision in the past eight days, I would like to just put that out for a moment and cross that bridge when we get there,” she said.
