The spectacle of politics and how it fits, or doesn’t, into the nation’s culture. Subscribe to our newsletter here.The Pennsylvania Shuffle If you’re confused about what comes next in Pennsylvania, even after this week’s primary elections set the midterm slate, don’t worry. That just means you’re paying attention. A court-ordered redraw of the congressional district lines and a spate of resignations and retirements has scrambled the Keystone State, at least when it comes to the battle for the House majority. When the 115th Congress started in January 2017, the partisan breakdown in the House was 13 Republicans and five Republicans. This week — and this keeps changing — it’s 10 Republicans and six Democrats, with two vacancies. Just in the last couple of weeks, Republicans Patrick Meehan and Charlie Dent quit, and their seats will remain vacant until Election Day. Their districts, meanwhile, will give way to redrawn ones, along with the rest of the state, and this has Democrats hoping they can flip a few more seats in their quest to flip the House itself. Roll Call’s senior political reporter Bridget Bowman talks about the primary and the races that will be the most competitive in this week’s Political Theater podcast: Ch-ch-changes Here’s the Pennsylvania House delegation in January 2017: 1st District: Robert A. Brady, D2nd District: Dwight Evans, D3rd District: Mike Kelly, R4th District: Scott Perry, R5th District: Glenn Thompson, R6th District: Ryan A. Costello, R7th District: Patrick Meehan, R8th District: Brian Fitzpatrick, R9th District: Bill Shuster, R10th District: Tom Marino, R11th District: Lou Barletta, R12th District: Keith Rothfus, R13th District: Brendan Boyle, D14th District: Mike Doyle, D15th District: Charlie Dent, R16th District: Lloyd K. Smucker, R17th District: Matt Cartwright, D18th District: Tim Murphy, R And here it is this week: 1st District: Robert A. Brady, D2nd District: Dwight Evans, D3rd District: Mike Kelly, R4th District: Scott Perry, R5th District: Glenn Thompson, R6th District: Ryan A. Costello, R7th District: Vacant8th District: Brian Fitzpatrick, R9th District: Bill Shuster, R10th District: Tom Marino, R11th District: Lou Barletta, R12th District: Keith Rothfus, R13th District: Brendan Boyle, D14th District: Mike Doyle, D15th District: Vacant16th District: Lloyd K. Smucker, R17th District: Matt Cartwright, D18th District: Conor Lamb, D Oh, and Brady, Costello and Shuster are retiring, and Barletta is running for Senate, so they’ll all definitely be gone from this roster come January.And — all these districts are changing anyway under the new lines redrawn by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after it ruled the previous districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered. And, and! — Pennsylvania usually loses a seat in the decennial redistricting, so musical chairs will shuffle anew in 2022. A Fit for FettermanJohn Fetterman, the mayor of Braddock, Pa., speaks with supporters in 2016 during his unsuccessful run for the Senate at the Interstate Drafthouse in Philadelphia. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)Way back in the 2016 election, John Fetterman, the mayor of Braddock, Pa., cut a memorable figure on the campaign trail.The 6-foot-8-inch, tattooed and tough-talking liberal ran for the Democratic Senate nomination, competing against former Rep. Joe Sestak and Katie McGinty for the right to take on GOP Sen. Patrick J. Toomey. McGinty prevailed, then lost to Toomey in the fall, a disappointment for Democrats on a disappointing night for them as they lost up and down the ticket, from the presidential to local level. But Fetterman is back on the ballot again, having prevailed in Tuesday’s Democratic primary to be his party's nominee for lieutenant governor, where he'll share a ticket with incumbent Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who is running for a second term. The City of Political Convention Love Philadelphia and its suburbs always seem to be a focus of the political calculus. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the City of Brotherly Love has seen its share of political conventions, dating back to the founding of the Republic and the Constitutional Convention, up to the 21st century, when each of the political parties has taken a turn feting their presidential nominees.George W. Bush took a bow in 2000.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)And Hillary Clinton made history as the first woman to be nominated by a major political party in 2016.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)The KickerFrom left, House Majority Whip, Steve Scalise, R-La., House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, sit onstage while waiting for President Donald Trump to address the GOP retreat in Philadelphia on Jan. 26, 2017. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo)
