Redistricting Map, Trump, Family; Factors For Costello Dropping Out
Philadelphia (CBS) — Congressman Ryan Costello announced that he would not be seeking re-election in Pennsylvania's 6th district. Costello joined the Dom Giordano Program on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT to discuss his decision.
Immediately, Costello looked at the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's redistricting map as the issue that pushed him over to decide not to run again.
"They got rid of half my district, made it nine points more Democratic and gave me one week, or anybody to decide, whether to run for the district," said Costello. "That was on top of a number of frustrations and issues I have. I want to clarify this [too] 'Do I disagree with the President on some of the things he does from time to time?' yes, I say that when it happens. I support what we've done tax cuts, regulatory relief and all that. Do I take issue with some of the things he says, the tweets and behavioral stuff? Yes, but I don't do that all the time."
Despite the redistricting, Costello explained why he decided to drop out now and not stick it out through the election in November.
"Believe me I went back and forth for weeks. I'd wake up one day and say this is what I'm going to do, and then the next day I'd having something else pulling at me," Costello said. "The bottom line is, on this point, and I'm always weary of politicians saying they'll do something for family reasons, but I have an 8-month old and a 4-year-old and I can't look myself in the mirror and say I'm going to go do this, knowing they rigged it against me, wake up in the middle of November and have to find a new job in 6 weeks."
Costello says there's a need for transparency from the Courts of what went into the decision of each new district of the Congressional map.
"They gave legislators two days after the decision to draw a map, when the Constitution requires 3 days," he said. "They got rid of the voting rights act district in the city, which protects minority representation in order to benefit Democrats. What do you think would happen if Republicans got rid of a voting rights act protected district to racially gerrymander to benefit Republicans. NAACP goes silent, State Senator Vincent Hughes goes silent, Philadelphia Inquirer editorial page goes silent, and Will Bunch goes silent. I can't even, it's unbelievable to me."
