Pattye Benson

Community Matters

Pennsylvania 6th Congressional District

Decision Reached: US Rep Ryan Costello Will Not Run for Re-Election

Congressman Ryan CostelloAccording to the Philadelphia Inquirer, it’s official that US Rep Ryan Costello will not be seeking re-election in the 6th District.

Costello’s departure from the 6th District race was rumored the last couple of weeks but there were mixed messages last week when he filed petitions for the May primary, meeting the deadline. However in the end, citing personal and political reasons, Costello decided not to seek another term in Congress. An attorney and Chester County native, Costello will seek employment in the private sector when his current term ends.

Tax attorney from Chadds Ford, Greg McCauley has filed signatures to run as a Republican in the 6th District, with a priority issue for new jobs and wage growth in the economy. At this point, it is unclear if Costello’s name will appear with McCauley’s on the ballot for the May primary election.

Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, a veteran and former CEO, is currently running for her party’s nomination in Pennsylvania 6th Congressional District.

Rumor or Fact – Is Republican Representative Ryan Costello Considering Retirement From the 6th Congressional District?

Related imageRumor has it is that Republican Rep. Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District is considering retirement. At least 38 U.S. House Republicans have announced they are retiring, running for another office or resigning outright — will Costello add his name to the list?

If Costello were not to seek re-election this could be a game-changer for the Democrats. But Costello doesn’t have much time to decide – he is up against a fast-approaching deadline –his petition and required signatures to run is March 20.

When you look at the map of Pennsylvania’s 6th District, gerrymandering is particularly glaring. With the recent redrawing of the congressional map by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Costello’s district was greatly affected. The new map has the boundaries of the 6th District to include all of Chester County and the city of Reading.

State Republicans want to keep the old lines and are challenging the proposed redistricting map in court but no final legal decision has been made.

There could be an interesting twist in the 6th Congressional District race, which no doubt is being discussed in the backrooms. If Costello does decide to retire, who becomes the replacement Republican candidate for the 6th Congressional District? Republican Michelle Kichline is the current chair of the Chester County’s Board of Commissioners. In 2014, Michelle replaced Ryan Costello as County Commissioner; would she now run for his seat in the 6th District?

The clock is ticking down – March 20 is less than a week away and if Costello bows out, it would give a new candidate less than a week to gather the necessary signatures to run.

This week saw Democrat Conor Lamb win the PA 18th Congressional District in a special election, in a district previously held by a Republican. Knowing that Trump carried the 18th District by 20 points, this swing from Republican to Democrat was national news and may well be the reason for the Costello retirement rumor. And the Democrat victory in the special election could also cause pause to any potential Republican replacement candidate in the 6th District.

If the incumbent Republican Representative Ryan Costello were not to seek re-election, Democrat challenger for the 6th District, Chrissy Houlahan, could find herself in an enviable position.

Community Matters © 2024 Frontier Theme