Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District is a congressional district in the state of Pennsylvania. It includes almost all of Chester County, the city of Reading and its southeastern suburbs in Berks County. The district is represented by Democrat Chrissy Houlahan. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional.[3]

Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
Boundaries since January 2019.
Statistics below, except PVI, apply to the old boundaries.
Representative
  Chrissy Houlahan
DDevon
Distribution
  • 89.07[1]% urban
  • 10.93% rural
Population (2000)646,221
Median income55,611
Ethnicity
Cook PVID+2[2]

Elections

Jim Gerlach served as the District's Representative from 2003 to 2014. In 2004 and 2006, Gerlach won re-election against fellow attorney and now Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lois Murphy. In 2008, he successfully ran for re-election against businessman and veteran Bob Roggio. In the 2010 and 2012 elections, Gerlach defeated physician and Iraq War veteran Manan Trivedi, the Democratic nominee.

In January 2014, Gerlach announced that he would not stand for reelection to the 114th Congress. In the race to succeed Gerlach, Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello won the Republican nomination and physician and Iraq war veteran Manan Trivedi secured the Democratic party's nomination.[4]

In February 2018, following the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's ordered redrawing of congressional districts, Costello announced he would not stand for reelection and retire at the end of the 115th Congress, leaving businessman Greg McCauley as the sole Republican candidate while the Democrats nominated Air Force veteran Chrissy Houlahan.[5] Houlahan defeated McCauley in the general election.[6]

Year Office Results
2002 Representative Gerlach 51.4 - 48.6%
2004 President Kerry 52 - 48%
Representative Gerlach 51 - 49%
2006 Representative Gerlach 50.7 - 49.3%
2008 President Obama 58 - 41%
Representative Gerlach 52.1 - 47.9%
2010 Representative Gerlach 57.1 - 42.9%
2012 President Romney 50.6 - 48.1%
Representative Gerlach 57.1 - 42.9%
2014 Representative Costello 56.3 - 43.7%
2016 President Clinton 47.6 - 47.0%
Representative Costello 57.3 - 42.7%
2018 Representative Houlahan 58.8 - 41.1%

Geography

2003 to 2012

Prior to the court-ordered redistricting, the 6th district's incarnation dated back to 2002. Its strange shape brought charges of gerrymandering by Democrats who argued it "looms like a dragon descending on Philadelphia from the west, splitting up towns and communities throughout Montgomery and Berks Counties."[7] The combination of very affluent suburban areas of Philadelphia and sparsely populated rural areas was possibly designed to capture Republican voters, but changes in voting patterns in southeastern Pennsylvania has made the District much more competitive. The District had a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+1 after the 2012 redistricting. It was rated D+4 before then.[8] The district included parts of Montgomery County, Chester County, Berks County and Lehigh County. The largest cities in the district were Reading and Norristown.

2013 to 2018

The redistricting of 2011/2012 changed it to include parts of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lebanon counties. The following municipalities constituted the sixth district:[9]

Berks County

TownshipsBoroughs
  • Alsace
  • Bern
  • Colebrookdale
  • Cumru District 1,4,6,7
  • Exeter
  • Heidelberg
  • Herford District 2
  • Lower Alsace District 2
  • Lower Heidelberg
  • Maidencreek
  • Marion
  • Muhlenberg 2,3,5,6,7,8,9
  • North Heidelberg
  • Ontelaunee
  • Penn
  • Richmond
  • Rockland
  • Ruscombmanor
  • South Heidelberg
  • Spring District 5,7,8
  • Washington
  • Bally
  • Bechtelsville
  • Bernville
  • Birdsboro
  • Boyertown
  • Fleetwood
  • Kenhorst
  • Laureldale District 1(part)
  • Leesport
  • Robesonia
  • Shillington
  • Sinking Spring
  • St. Lawrence
  • Wernersville
  • Womelsdorf
  • Wyomissing District 1,2,4,5

Chester County

TownshipsBoroughs
  • Caln District 4
  • Charlestown
  • East Bradford District 1
  • East Brandywine
  • East Caln
  • East Goshen
  • East Nantmeal
  • East Pikeland
  • East Whiteland
  • Easttown
  • Londonderry
  • North Coventry
  • Schuylkill
  • South Coventry
  • Thornbury
  • Tredyffrin
  • Upper Uwchlan
  • Uwchlan
  • West Bradford District 1,2,3
  • West Goshen
  • West Pikeland
  • West Vincent
  • West Whiteland
  • Westtown
  • Willistown
  • Downingtown
  • Malvern
  • Phoenixville
  • Spring City
  • West Chester

Lebanon County

TownshipsBoroughs
  • Heidelberg
  • Jackson
  • Millcreek
  • North Lebanon District E
  • South Lebanon
  • West Cornwall
  • Cornwall
  • Myerstown
  • Richland
  • City of Lebanon
  • Wards 1,2,4,5,7,8,9,10


Montgomery County

TownshipsBoroughs
  • Douglass
  • Limerick
  • Lower Pottsgrove
  • Lower Providence
  • New Hanover
  • Perkiomen District 1,2
  • Upper Hanover District 3
  • Upper Pottsgrove
  • Upper Providence
  • West Norriton District 1,2,3
  • West Pottsgrove
  • Collegeville
  • East Greenville
  • Pennsburg
  • Pottstown
  • Red Hill
  • Royersford
  • Schwenksville
  • Trappe

2019

The court-ordered map made the 6th a more compact district in Berks and Chester counties.[3]

List of members representing the district

1791–1793: One seat

District created in 1791 from the at-large district.

Representative Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history

Andrew Gregg
Anti-Administration March 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793
2nd Elected in 1791.
Redistricted to the at-large district.

District redistricted in 1793 to the at-large district.

1795–1823: One seat, then two

District created in 1795.

Cong
ress
Years Seat A Seat B
Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history
4th March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1797
Samuel Maclay Democratic-Republican Elected in 1794.
Lost re-election.
Second seat added in 1813
5th
6th
7th
March 4, 1797 –
March 3, 1803
John A. Hanna Democratic-Republican Elected in 1796.
Re-elected in 1798.
Re-elected in 1800.
Redistricted to the 4th district.
8th March 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1805
John Stewart Democratic-Republican Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1802.
Lost re-election.
9th
10th
March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1809
James Kelly Federalist Elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Lost re-election.
11th
12th
March 4, 1809 –
March 3, 1813
William Crawford Democratic-Republican Elected in 1808.
Re-elected in 1810.
Redistricted to the 5th district.
13th March 4, 1813 –
March 3, 1815

Samuel D. Ingham
Democratic-Republican Elected in 1812.
Re-elected in 1814.
Re-elected in 1816.
Resigned.
Robert Brown Democratic-Republican Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1812.
Re-elected in 1814.
Retired.
14th March 4, 1815 –
March 3, 1817
John Ross Democratic-Republican Elected in 1814.
Re-elected in 1816.
Resigned to become president judge of the seventh judicial district of Pennsylvania.
15th March 4, 1817 –
February 24, 1818
February 24, 1818 –
March 3, 1818
Vacant
March 3, 1818 –
July 6, 1818
Thomas Jones Rogers Democratic-Republican Elected to finish Ross's term.
Also elected 1818 to the next term.
Re-elected in 1820.
Redistricted to the 8th district.
July 6, 1818 –
October 13, 1818
Vacant
October 13, 1818 –
March 3, 1819

Samuel Moore
Democratic-Republican Elected to finish Rogers's term.
Also elected 1818 to the next term.
Re-elected in 1820.
Resigned.
16th March 4, 1819 –
March 3, 1821
17th March 4, 1821 –
May 20, 1822
May 20, 1822 –
October 7, 1822
Vacant
October 7, 1822 –
March 3, 1823

Samuel D. Ingham
Democratic-Republican Elected to finish Moore's term.
Redistricted to the 8th district.

1823 – present: One seat

Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history
Robert Harris Jackson
Democratic-Republican
March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825
18th
19th
Elected in 1822.
Re-elected in 1824.
Retired.
Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1827
Innis Green Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1831
20th
21st
Elected in 1826.
Re-elected in 1828.
Retired.
John C. Bucher Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –
March 3, 1833
22nd Elected in 1830.
Redistricted to the 10th district.
Robert Ramsey Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1835
23rd Elected in 1832.
Retired.
Mathias Morris Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1835 –
March 3, 1837
24th
25th
Elected in 1834.
Re-elected in 1836.
Lost re-election.
Whig March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1839
John Davis Democratic March 4, 1839 –
March 3, 1841
26th Elected in 1838.
Lost re-election.
Robert Ramsey Whig March 4, 1841 –
March 3, 1843
27th [data unknown/missing]
Retired.

Michael H. Jenks
Whig March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1845
28th [data unknown/missing]
Lost re-election.
Jacob Erdman Democratic March 4, 1845 –
March 3, 1847
29th [data unknown/missing]
Lost re-election.
John Westbrook Hornbeck Whig March 4, 1847 –
January 16, 1848
30th [data unknown/missing]
Died.
Vacant January 17, 1848 –
March 5, 1848

Samuel A. Bridges
Democratic March 6, 1848 –
March 3, 1849
30th [data unknown/missing]
Retired.
Thomas Ross Democratic March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1853
31st
32nd
[data unknown/missing]

William Everhart
Whig March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
33rd [data unknown/missing]

John Hickman
Democratic March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1859
34th
35th
36th
37th
[data unknown/missing]
Anti-Lecompton Democratic March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861
Republican March 4, 1861 –
March 3, 1863

John D. Stiles
Democratic March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1865
38th [data unknown/missing]

Benjamin M. Boyer
Democratic March 4, 1865 –
March 3, 1869
39th
40th
[data unknown/missing]
Retired.

John D. Stiles
Democratic March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1871
41st Redistricted from the 7th district.
[data unknown/missing]

Retired.


Ephraim L. Acker
Democratic March 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1873
42nd [data unknown/missing]
Lost re-election.

James S. Biery
Republican March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
43rd [data unknown/missing]
Retired.

Washington Townsend
Republican March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877
44th Redistricted from the 7th district.
[data unknown/missing]

Retired.


William Ward
Republican March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1883
45th
46th
47th
[data unknown/missing]
Retired.

James B. Everhart
Republican March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
48th
49th
[data unknown/missing]
Lost renomination.

Smedley Darlington
Republican March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1891
50th
51st
[data unknown/missing]
Retired.

John B. Robinson
Republican March 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1897
52nd
53rd
54th
[data unknown/missing]
Lost re-election.

Thomas S. Butler
Independent Republican March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1899
55th
56th
57th
[data unknown/missing]
Republican March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1903

George D. McCreary
Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1913
58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd
[data unknown/missing]
Retired.

J. Washington Logue
Democratic March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1915
63rd [data unknown/missing]
Lost re-election.

George P. Darrow
Republican March 4, 1915 –
March 3, 1923
64th
65th
66th
67th
[data unknown/missing]
Redistricted to the 7th district.
George A. Welsh Republican March 4, 1923 –
May 31, 1932
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
[data unknown/missing]
Resigned to become a district court judge
Vacant May 31, 1932 –
November 8, 1932
Robert L. Davis Republican November 8, 1932 –
March 3, 1933
72nd [data unknown/missing]
Edward L. Stokes Republican March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1935
73rd Redistricted from the 2nd district.
Retired to run for Governor.
Michael J. Stack Democratic January 3, 1935 –
January 3, 1939
74th
75th
[data unknown/missing]
Lost renomination and lost re-election under a different party.

Francis J. Myers
Democratic January 3, 1939 –
January 3, 1945
76th
77th
78th
[data unknown/missing]
Herbert J. McGlinchey Democratic January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1947
79th [data unknown/missing]
Lost re-election.

Hugh Scott
Republican January 3, 1947 –
January 3, 1959
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
[data unknown/missing]
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

Herman Toll
Democratic January 3, 1959 –
January 3, 1963
86th
87th
[data unknown/missing]
Redistricted to the 4th district.

George M. Rhodes
Democratic January 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1969
88th
89th
90th
Redistricted from the 14th district.
Retired.

Gus Yatron
Democratic January 3, 1969 –
January 3, 1993
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
[data unknown/missing]
Retired.

Tim Holden
Democratic January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 2003
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
[data unknown/missing]
Redistricted to the 17th district.

Jim Gerlach
Republican January 3, 2003 –
January 3, 2015
108th
109th
110th
111th
112th
113th
Elected in 2002.

Ryan Costello
Republican January 3, 2015 –
January 3, 2019
114th
115th
Elected in 2014.

Chrissy Houlahan
Democratic January 3, 2019 –
present
116th Elected in 2018.

Historical district boundaries

See also

References

  1. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/cd_state.html
  2. "New Pennsylvania Map Is a Major Boost for Democrats". The Cook Political Report. February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  3. Cohn, Nate; Bloch, Matthew; Quealy, Kevin (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania House Districts Are In. We Review the Mapmakers' Choices". The Upshot. The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. http://ballotpedia.org/Pennsylvania's_6th_Congressional_District_elections,_2014
  5. Prokop, Andrew (2018-05-16). "These 6 Pennsylvania Democratic nominees are key to the battle for House control". Vox. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  6. Burke, Michael (2018-11-06). "Democrat Chrissy Houlahan elected to House in Pennsylvania". TheHill. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  7. VIETH et al. v. JUBELIRER, PRESIDENT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SENATE, et al., 541 U.S. 267 (United States Supreme Court 2004) (see http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=02-1580) (plurality opinion of Court holding political gerrymandering claims in the District nonjusticiable based on the lack of workable standards)
  8. "2012 COMPETITIVE HOUSE RACE CHART". The Cook Political Report. The Cook Political Report. Retrieved March 27, 2012.
  9. https://costello.house.gov/about/municipalities

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