More than 70 people have submitted paperwork with hours to go until the deadline to run in Pennsylvania’s congressional primary election.
Tuesday’s the deadline to submit at least 1,000 voter signatures to get on May 15?s primary ballot.
Interest in running for Congress is high. Pennsylvania has its most open seats in decades and more competitive districts after the state Supreme Court redrew a map that it ruled had been unconstitutionally gerrymandered by Republicans.
Congressional primary ballots haven’t contained more than 48 candidates in any of the three elections since Pennsylvania dropped to 18 U.S. House seats in 2012.
The new court-ordered districts will be in play in this year’s midterm elections and Democrats hope that picking up several more Pennsylvania seats will help them capture a U.S. House majority.
