Pa., NJ To Lose House Seats In Congressional Reapportioning

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The latest federal census figures add up to fewer seats in Congress for Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

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Nationwide, the population grew by 9.7 percent over the last decade, reaching more than 308½ million people. But the greatest growth continues in the South and West.

So, as the 435 Congressional seats are reapportioned, Pennsylvania and New Jersey will each lose one seat, going down to 18 and 12, respectively.

Now, the political bloodsport of redistricting begins, and LaSalle University provost Dr. Joseph Marbach (right) suggests it won't be pretty.

"Ultimately, what it means is that incumbents will be pitted against one another," Marbach told KYW Newsradio on Tuesday, "and politics is going to come into play."

It's too soon to say where those incumbent matchups might take place -- they have more than a year to get the new maps done.

But Marbach suggests that in Pennsylvania, where Republicans from the western part of the state will be in control, it's likely the eastern part of the commonwealth will take the hit.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio 1060.