A proposed redrawn map of the state’s congressional districts melds six northeast counties and part of a seventh into a single district, changing the local political landscape for members of Congress, their challengers and constituents.

Three weeks after the state Supreme Court declared the former map unconstitutional in that it unfairly favors Republicans, state Republican leaders Friday proposed a map that appears to combine all of Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, Monroe and Pike counties, as well as part of Luzerne County, into a new 17th Congressional District. The existing 17th District includes all of Schuylkill County and portions of Carbon, Monroe, Luzerne, Lackawanna and Northampton counties.

The boundaries of the 10th and 11th districts, which previously included all or parts of some northeast Pennsylvania counties, also will change significantly if the proposed map is approved by Gov. Tom Wolf.

The governor has until Thursday to tell the state Supreme Court if he supports it. The court has indicated it will “expeditiously” adopt its own map based on previous testimony if Wolf rejects the proposal.

The redrawn districts, if approved, may produce hurdles for incumbent members of Congress forced to campaign in new territory, said G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College.

“They are obviously going to have to shift their attention,” Madonna said. “They are going to have to go … and get into areas they haven’t (campaigned in) before, do more visits, make more contacts with local officials. In some cases, it’s going to make a huge difference.”

Under the proposed boundaries, the 17th District, represented by Moosic Democrat Matt Cartwright, incorporates four new counties — Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming. Those counties are currently part of either the 10th or 11th districts. President Donald Trump won those four counties in 2016.

Reached Saturday, Cartwright said he doubts the proposed map will be approved but isn’t afraid of taking on new territory.

“Wherever I pick up new territory — and I think it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that I will pick up new territory in some places — it’s going to be additional work on my part to get around and meet these new folks and figure out their concerns,” Cartwright said. “But I was never afraid of hard work.”

Beyond incumbents, there are more than 60 candidates running for Congress statewide. Under the proposed map, several challengers may no longer live in the districts they hope to represent, Madonna said.

Republican John R. Chrin, a former Wall Street banker who wants to unseat Cartwright this year, recently established residence in the 17th District, buying a home in Palmer Township, Northampton County. The proposed map places all of Northampton County in the 15th District.

Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko is a Republican challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Marino of Lycoming Township in the 10th District primary. The new map places Bradford County in the redrawn 5th District, but McLinko still hopes to face off with Marino.

“We’re just going to wait and see what the final map looks like,” he said. “It does make it a little more of a challenge, but we’re confident that we’ll have a good district that would represent rural parts of Pennsylvania.”

Candidates don’t have to live in the district they represent, meaning McLinko could still run in the 10th.

The state Supreme Court gave the General Assembly until Friday to produce a new map.

House Speaker Mike Turzai and Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, both Republicans, drafted the proposal sent to Wolf.

State Rep. Mike Carroll, D-118, Avoca, took issue with two state lawmakers out of 253 drafting the plan.

“The whole foundation is flawed,” Carroll said Saturday, adding that State House and Senate Democrats and Republicans need to work together to create the new districts.

“So on process and on function, the map should be rejected by the governor,” he said.

When asked if the proposed map is more equitable for voters in Pennsylvania, Carroll said, “The current map leaves so much to be desired that any other map would be improvement.

The new map, whether accepted by Wolf or drawn up by the state Supreme Court, will be used for the May 15 primary.

Distributed by The Associated Press.