Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
Population (2023)778,593
Median household
income
$79,206
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+2[1]

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district includes all of Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, and parts of Monroe County. The district is represented by Democrat Susan Wild.

From March 2003 through 2018, the district incorporated parts of the Philadelphia suburbs, including most of Delaware County, along with portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and Lancaster Counties. The district exhibited extreme non-congruity during that time as a result of gerrymandering.[2] On January 22, 2018, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled that the map violated the state constitution, and in February, it issued its own district boundaries for use in the 2018 elections and representation thereafter.[3] Most of the population in the old 7th district became part of a new 5th district, encompassing all of Delaware County and parts of South Philadelphia; while most of the old 15th district became the new 7th district.[4][5] In the 2020 redistricting cycle, Carbon County was added into the district, in exchange for the area around East Stroudsburg in Monroe County.

Pat Meehan, who had represented the old 7th district since 2011, resigned on April 27, 2018, amid a sexual harassment case. Mary Gay Scanlon won the special election on November 6, 2018, to replace him for the remainder of his term, and she served for slightly less than two months as the last representative for the old 7th district before being transferred to the newly redrawn 5th district. Susan Wild won the general election in the newly redrawn 7th district, and she took office January 3, 2019.

The district was identified as a presidential bellwether by Sabato's Crystal Ball, having voted for the Electoral College winner in the past four presidential elections as of 2020.[6]

Recent statewide election results

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The following table includes election results for previous incarnations of the 7th congressional district; see #Historical district boundaries.

Year Presidential Representative Notes
2002 Weldon 66.1–33.9% New district boundaries
2004 Kerry 53–47% Weldon 58.8–40.3%  
2006 Sestak 56.4–43.6%  
2008 Obama 56–43% Sestak 59.6–40.4%  
2010 Meehan 54.9–44.1%  
2012 Romney 50.4–48.5% Meehan 59.4–40.6%  
2014 Meehan 62.0–38.0% New district boundaries
2016 Clinton 49.3–47.0% Meehan 59.5–40.5%  
2018 Scanlon 52.3–46.0% Special following Meehan's resignation
Wild 53.5–43.5% New district boundaries
2020 Biden 51.8–47.0% Wild 51.9–48.1%
2022 Wild 51.0–49.0% New district boundaries

[citation needed]

Geography

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The 2003–2012 version of the district was located in southeastern Pennsylvania. It contained the western and northwestern suburbs of Philadelphia. It consisted of the majority of Delaware County (except for the City of Chester and some of the eastern boroughs), a portion of Chester County east of West Chester in the affluent Philadelphia Main Line area, and a portion of southern Montgomery County centered on Upper Merion Township.

The 2013–2018 version of the district contained most of Delaware County outside of the City of Chester and the heavily African American townships and boroughs in the eastern portion of the county. It also contained parts of central Montgomery County, southern portions of Berks County, southern and central portions of Chester County, and a small portion of eastern Lancaster County. The District as it stood in October 2016 was named on NPR's On the Media as an egregious example of gerrymandering. The shape of the district was described as "Goofy kicking Donald Duck. The only point that is essentially contiguous there is Goofy's foot in Donald Duck's rear end. ... However these district lines are the building blocks of democracy, and when they get as perverted and twisted as this, it leads to deeply undemocratic outcomes."[7] The Washington Post listed it as one of the ten most gerrymandered districts in the country.[8]

On February 19, 2018, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania released a new congressional map after lawmakers had failed to agree on a map that would reduce gerrymandering. The map substantially redrew the District, relocating it to the Lehigh Valley.[5] The newly redrawn district includes all of Lehigh County and Northampton County as well as parts of Monroe County.

List of members representing the district

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1791–1793: one seat

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District created in 1791.

Representative Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history
District first established March 4, 1791

Thomas Hartley
(York)
Pro-Administration March 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793
2nd Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1791.
Redistricted to the at-large district.

District redistricted in 1793 to the at-large district.

1795–1823: one seat

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District restored in 1795.

Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history

John W. Kittera
(Lancaster)
Federalist March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1801
4th
5th
6th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1794.
Re-elected in 1796.
Re-elected in 1798.
Retired.
Thomas Boude
(Columbia)
Federalist March 4, 1801 –
March 3, 1803
7th Elected in 1800.
Redistricted to the 3rd district and lost re-election.
John Rea
(Chambersburg)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1811
8th
9th
10th
11th
Elected in 1802.
Re-elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Re-elected in 1808.
Lost re-election.
William Piper
(Bloodyrun)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1811 –
March 3, 1813
12th Elected in 1810.
Redistricted to the 8th district.
John M. Hyneman
(Reading)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 –
August 2, 1813
13th Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1812.
Resigned.
Vacant August 2, 1813 –
October 12, 1813

Daniel Udree
(Reading)
Democratic-Republican October 12, 1813 –
March 3, 1815
Elected October 12, 1813, to finish Hyneman's term and seated December 6, 1813.
Lost re-election.

Joseph Hiester
(Reading)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1815 –
December ????, 1820
14th
15th
16th
Elected in 1814.
Re-elected in 1816.
Resigned to become Governor of Pennsylvania.
Vacant December ????, 1820 –
December 26, 1820
16th

Daniel Udree
(Reading)
Democratic-Republican December 26, 1820 –
March 3, 1821
Elected December 10, 1820, to finish Hiester's term and seated January 8, 1821.[9]
Had not been a candidate for the next term.
Ludwig Worman
(Pottstown)
Federalist March 4, 1821 –
October 17, 1822
17th Elected in 1820.
Lost re-election and then died.
Vacant October 17, 1822 –
December 10, 1822

Daniel Udree
(Reading)
Democratic-Republican December 10, 1822 –
March 3, 1823
Elected in 1822.
Later elected December 10, 1822, to finish Worman's term and seated December 23, 1822.

1823–1833: two seats

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Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history
Henry Wilson
(Allentown)
Democratic-Republican[a] March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825
18th Elected in 1822.
Re-elected in 1824.
Died.

Daniel Udree
(Reading)
Democratic-Republican[a] March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825
18th Re-elected in 1822.
Retired.
Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
August 24, 1826
19th William Addams
(Reading)
Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1829
19th
20th
Elected in 1824.
Re-elected in 1826.
Lost re-election.
Vacant August 24, 1826 –
December 4, 1826
Jacob Krebs
(Orwigsburg)
Jacksonian December 4, 1826 –
March 3, 1827
Elected October 10, 1826, to finish Wilson's term and seated December 4, 1826.
Was not a candidate for the next term.
Joseph Fry Jr.
(Fryburg)
Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1831
20th
21st
Elected in 1826.
Re-elected in 1828.
Retired.

Henry A. P. Muhlenberg
(Reading)
Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –
March 3, 1833
21st
22nd
Elected in 1828.
Re-elected in 1830.
Redistricted to the 9th district.
Henry King
(Allentown)
Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –
March 3, 1833
22nd Elected in 1830.
Redistricted to the 8th district.

1833–present: one seat

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Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history
David D. Wagener
(Easton)
Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1837
23rd
24th
Elected in 1832
Re-elected in 1834
Re-elected in 1836
Re-elected in 1838
[data missing]
Democratic March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1841
25th
26th
John Westbrook
(Dingmans Ferry)
Democratic March 4, 1841 –
March 3, 1843
27th Elected in 1840.
Retired.
Abraham R. McIlvaine
(Brandywine)
Whig March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1849
28th
29th
30th
Elected in 1843.
Re-elected in 1844.
Re-elected in 1846.
Lost renomination.
Jesse C. Dickey
(New London)
Whig March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1851
31st Elected in 1848.
Lost re-election.
John A. Morrison
(Cochranville)
Democratic March 4, 1851 –
March 3, 1853
32nd Elected in 1850.
[data missing]

Samuel A. Bridges
(Allentown)
Democratic March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
33rd Elected in 1852.
Lost re-election.
Samuel C. Bradshaw
(Quakertown)
Opposition March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1857
34th Elected in 1854.
Lost re-election.

Henry Chapman
(Doylestown)
Democratic March 4, 1857 –
March 3, 1859
35th Elected in 1856.
Retired.
Henry C. Longnecker
(Allentown)
Republican March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861
36th Elected in 1858.
[data missing]
Thomas B. Cooper
(Coopersburg)
Democratic March 4, 1861 –
April 4, 1862
37th Elected in 1860.
Died.
Vacant April 4, 1862 –
June 3, 1862

John D. Stiles
(Allentown)
Democratic June 3, 1862 –
March 3, 1863
Elected to finish Cooper's term.
Redistricted to the 6th district.

John M. Broomall
(Media)
Republican March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1869
38th
39th
40th
Elected in 1862.
Re-elected in 1864.
Re-elected in 1866.
Retired.

Washington Townsend
(West Chester)
Republican March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1875
41st
42nd
43rd
Elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
Re-elected in 1872.
Redistricted to the 6th district.

Alan Wood Jr.
(Conshohocken)
Republican March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877
44th Elected in 1874.
Retired.

Isaac N. Evans
(Hatboro)
Republican March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879
45th Elected in 1876.
Retired.

William Godshalk
(New Britain)
Republican March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1883
46th
47th
Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Retired.

Isaac N. Evans
(Hatboro)
Republican March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
48th
49th
Elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Retired.

Robert M. Yardley
(Doylestown)
Republican March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1891
50th
51st
Elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Retired.

Edwin Hallowell
(Willow Grove)
Democratic March 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1893
52nd Elected in 1890.
Lost re-election.

Irving P. Wanger
(Norristown)
Republican March 4, 1893 –
March 3, 1903
53rd
54th
55th
56th
57th
Elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Redistricted to the 8th district.

Thomas S. Butler
(West Chester)
Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1923
58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd
63rd
64th
65th
66th
67th
Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Redistricted to the 8th district.

George P. Darrow
(Philadelphia)
Republican March 4, 1923 –
January 3, 1937
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Lost re-election.

Ira W. Drew
(Philadelphia)
Democratic January 3, 1937 –
January 3, 1939
75th Elected in 1936.
Lost re-election.

George P. Darrow
(Philadelphia)
Republican January 3, 1939 –
January 3, 1941
76th Elected in 1938.
Retired.

Hugh Scott
(Philadelphia)
Republican January 3, 1941 –
January 3, 1945
77th
78th
Elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Lost re-election.

James Wolfenden
(Upper Darby)
Republican January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1947
79th Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1944.
Retired.

E. Wallace Chadwick
(Rose Valley)
Republican January 3, 1947 –
January 3, 1949
80th Elected in 1946.
Lost renomination.

Benjamin F. James
(Rosemont)
Republican January 3, 1949 –
January 3, 1959
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
Elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Retired.

William H. Milliken Jr.
(Sharon Hill)
Republican January 3, 1959 –
January 3, 1965
86th
87th
88th
Elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Retired.

G. Robert Watkins
(West Chester)
Republican January 3, 1965 –
January 3, 1967
89th Elected in 1964.
Redistricted to the 9th district.

Lawrence G. Williams
(Springfield)
Republican January 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1975
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
Elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Lost re-election.

Robert W. Edgar
(Middletown)
Democratic January 3, 1975 –
January 3, 1987
94th
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
Elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

Curt Weldon
(Thornbury)
Republican January 3, 1987 –
January 3, 2007
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
Elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Lost re-election.

Joe Sestak
(Springfield)
Democratic January 3, 2007 –
January 3, 2011
110th
111th
Elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.

Pat Meehan
(Drexel Hill)
Republican January 3, 2011 –
April 27, 2018
112th
113th
114th
115th
Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Resigned.
Vacant April 27, 2018 –
November 13, 2018
115th

Mary Gay Scanlon
(Swarthmore)
Democratic November 13, 2018 –
January 3, 2019
Elected to finish Meehan's term.
Redistricted to the 5th district.

Susan Wild
(Allentown)
Democratic January 3, 2019 –
present
116th
117th
118th
Redistricted from the 15th district and re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020
Re-elected in 2022.

Historical district boundaries

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Supported the Jackson faction in the 1824 United States presidential election.

References

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  1. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Ingraham, Christopher. "This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see". Washington Post. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  3. ^ League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, No. 159 MM 2018, [1] (PA February 19, 2018)
  4. ^ "Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes down state's congressional districts". CBS News. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. CBS News. January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  5. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ "Districts of Change, Part Two: Looking Beyond the Straight-Party Districts".
  7. ^ "The System Is Rigged". On the Media. October 21, 2016.
  8. ^ Ingraham, Christopher (May 15, 2014). "America's most gerrymandered congressional districts". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "Sixteenth Congress March 4, 1819, to March 3, 1821". Office of the Historian, United States House of Representatives. Retrieved January 23, 2019 – via History.house.gov.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
  • Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
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39°54′N 75°55′W / 39.900°N 75.917°W / 39.900; -75.917