18 Plaintiffs Who Challenged Pennsylvania Gerrymander Receive Democracy Defender Award
On May 21st Common Cause Pennsylvania presented the Democracy Defender Awards to the eighteen plaintiffs of the PA Supreme Court gerrymandering case during the Democracy Works Summit, held at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel in Philadelphia. The award is given to a group, organization or individual who has displayed commitment to achieving democracy in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs, who represented each of Pennsylvania’s 18 congressional districts, provided testimony on the adverse impacts of the extreme partisan gerrymander passed by the legislature in 2011. Since the successful court challenge to the map, the group has continued, beyond the successful court case, to become strong advocates in promoting solutions to issues such as gerrymandering, voting rights, and others. Some have contributed opinion letters to newspapers, been featured speakers with community groups, and a variety of other activities to help promote democracy.