Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district is located in the northeastern region of the state. It encompasses all of Wayne, Pike, and Lackawanna counties, along with almost all of Luzerne and Monroe counties.

Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
Boundaries since January 2019; below statistics, except PVI, apply to old boundaries
Representative	Matt Cartwright D–Moosic
Distribution	90.73% urban 9.27% rural
Population (2000)	646,403
Median income	59,207
Ethnicity	92.1% white 3.5% black 2.4% Asian 1.3% Hispanic 0.1% Native American 0.1% other
Cook PVI	R+1[1]

The district was primarily based in Bucks County from the 1940s until 2018, even as most other districts in Pennsylvania changed drastically during that time frame due to population shifts and Pennsylvania's loss of seats in the House. [2]

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional due to gerrymandering. The 8th district was reassigned to the northeastern part of the state for the 2018 elections and representation thereafter. It is geographically the successor of the former 17th district, including the ancestrally Democratic cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre in the Wyoming Valley. Portions of the new 8th also came from the old 10th district, including the more conservative counties of Pike and Wayne.[3] The district has a Cook PVI of R+1; however, the Democratic incumbent of the old 17th district, Matthew Cartwright, won in 2018.[4]

District characteristics

The district is a mix of suburban and rural communities. It is predominantly white and middle class. The bulk of its population is located in the ancestrally Democratic cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. However, the Democrats in this district are not as liberal as their counterparts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The old 17th swung from a 55-43 win for Barack Obama to a 54-43 win for Donald Trump--the first time much of this area had voted for a Republican since 1988.

Election results

US House election, 2004: Pennsylvania District 8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Mike Fitzpatrick	183,229	55	-9
	Democratic	Virginia Schrader	143,427	44	+7
	Libertarian	Arthur L. Farnsworth	3,710	1	+1
	Constitution	Erich Lukas	898	0.3	+0.3
Turnout			331,264

US House election, 2006: Pennsylvania District 8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Patrick Murphy	125,667	50	+6
	Republican	Mike Fitzpatrick	124,146	50	-5
Turnout			249,813

US House election, 2008: Pennsylvania District 8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Democratic	Patrick Murphy	197,869	57	+7
	Republican	Tom Manion	145,103	42	-8
	Independent	Tom Lingenfelter	5,543	2
Turnout			348,515

US House election, 2010: Pennsylvania District 8

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Mike Fitzpatrick	126,404	54	+12
	Democratic	Patrick Murphy	109,157	46	-11
Turnout			235,561

US House election, 2012: Pennsylvania District 8[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Mike Fitzpatrick	199,379	56.6	+2.6
	Democratic	Kathy Boockvar	152,859	43.4	-2.6
Turnout			352,238

US House election, 2014: Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Republican	Mike Fitzpatrick (Incumbent)	137,731	61.90
	Democratic	Kevin Strouse	84,767	38.10
Turnout			222,498

List of members representing the district

The district was created in 1791.

1791–1793: One seat

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
William Findley	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	2nd	Elected in 1791. Redistricted to the at-large district.

District eliminated in 1793 and replaced by the at-large district.

1795–1813: One seat

District restored in 1795.

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Thomas Hartley	Federalist	March 4, 1795 – December 21, 1800	4th 5th 6th	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Retired and then died.
Vacant		December 21, 1800 – January 15, 1801
John Stewart	Democratic-Republican	January 15, 1801 – March 3, 1803	6th 7th	Elected in 1800. Elected January 15, 1801 to finish Hartley's term and seated February 3, 1801. Redistricted to the 6th district.
William Findley	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1813	8th 9th 10th 11th 12th	Elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Redistricted to the 11th district.
William Piper	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817	13th 14th	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Retired.
Alexander Ogle	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819	15th	Elected in 1816. Retired.
Robert Philson	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821	16th	Elected in 1818. Lost re-election as a Federalist.
John Tod	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823	17th	Elected in 1820. Redistricted to the 13th district.

1823–1833: Two seats

Years	Cong ress		Seat A				Seat B
			Representative	Party	Electoral history		Representative	Party	Electoral history
March 4, 1823 – April 20, 1824	18th		Thomas Jones Rogers	Jackson Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1822. Resigned.		Samuel D. Ingham	Jackson Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828 but resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
April 20, 1824 – December 9, 1824			Vacant
December 9, 1824 – March 3, 1825			George Wolf	Jackson Democratic-Republican	Elected October 12, 1824 to finish Rogers's term and seated December 9, 1824. Also elected the same day in 1824 to the next term. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828 but resigned to become Governor of Pennsylvania.
March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829	19th 20th			Jacksonian				Jacksonian
March 4, 1829 – October 13, 1829	21st		Vacant				Vacant
October 13, 1829 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd		Samuel A. Smith	Jacksonian	Elected October 13, 1829 to finish Wolf's term and seated December 7, 1829. Re-elected in 1830. Retired.		Peter Ihrie Jr.	Jacksonian	Elected October 13, 1829 to finish Ingham's term and seated December 7, 1829. Re-elected in 1830. Redistricted to the 7th district and lost re-election.

1833–present: One seat

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
Henry King	Jacksonian	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835	23rd	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1832. Retired.	1833–1843 [data unknown/missing]
Edward Burd Hubley	Jacksonian	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837	24th 25th	Elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Retired.
	Democratic	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839
Peter Newhard	Democratic	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843	26th 27th	Elected in 1838. [data unknown/missing] Retired.
Jeremiah Brown	Whig	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	28th	Redistricted from the 4th district. Retired.	1843–1853 [data unknown/missing]
John Strohm	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849	29th 30th	[data unknown/missing]
Thaddeus Stevens	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853	31st 32nd	[data unknown/missing]
Henry A. Muhlenberg	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – January 9, 1854	33rd	[data unknown/missing] Died.	1853–1863 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		January 9, 1854 – February 4, 1854
J. Glancy Jones	Democratic	February 4, 1854 – October 30, 1858	33rd 34th 35th	[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become United States Minister to Austria.
Vacant		October 30, 1858 – December 7, 1858
William H. Keim	Republican	December 7, 1858 – March 3, 1859	35th	[data unknown/missing]
John Schwartz	Anti-Lecompton Democratic	March 4, 1859 – June 20, 1860	36th	[data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		June 20, 1860 – December 3, 1860
Jacob K. McKenty	Democratic	December 3, 1860 – March 3, 1861	36th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Sydenham E. Ancona	Democratic	March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1867	37th 38th 39th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
					1863–1873 [data unknown/missing]
James L. Getz	Democratic	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873	40th 41st 42nd	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Hiester Clymer	Democratic	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1881	43rd 44th 45th 46th	[data unknown/missing]	1873–1883 [data unknown/missing]
Daniel Ermentrout	Democratic	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1889	47th 48th 49th 50th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
					1883–1893 [data unknown/missing]
William Mutchler	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – June 23, 1893	51st 52nd 53rd	[data unknown/missing] Died.
					1893–1903 [data unknown/missing]
Vacant		June 23, 1893 – August 7, 1893
Howard Mutchler	Democratic	August 7, 1893 – March 3, 1895	53rd	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Joseph J. Hart	Democratic	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897	54th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
William S. Kirkpatrick	Republican	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	55th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Laird H. Barber	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901	56th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Howard Mutchler	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Irving P. Wanger	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1911	58th 59th 60th 61st	Redistricted from the 7th district. Lost re-election.	1903–1913 [data unknown/missing]
Robert E. Difenderfer	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1915	62nd 63rd	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
					1913–1933 [data unknown/missing]
Henry W. Watson	Republican	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923	64th 65th 66th 67th	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district.
Thomas S. Butler	Republican	March 4, 1923 – May 26, 1928	68th 69th 70th	Redistricted from the 7th district. Died.
Vacant		May 26, 1928 – November 6, 1928
James Wolfenden	Republican	November 6, 1928 – January 3, 1945	70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district.
					1933–1943 [data unknown/missing]
					1943–1953 [data unknown/missing]
Charles L. Gerlach	Republican	January 3, 1945 – May 5, 1947	79th 80th	Redistricted from the 9th district. Died.
Vacant		May 5, 1947 – September 9, 1947
Franklin H. Lichtenwalter	Republican	September 9, 1947 – January 3, 1951	80th 81st	[data unknown/missing]
Albert C. Vaughn	Republican	January 3, 1951 – September 1, 1951	82nd	[data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		September 1, 1951 – November 6, 1951
Karl C. King	Republican	November 6, 1951 – January 3, 1957	82nd 83rd 84th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
					1953–1963 [data unknown/missing]
Willard S. Curtin	Republican	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1967	85th 86th 87th 88th 89th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
					1963–1973 [data unknown/missing]
Edward G. Biester Jr.	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1977	90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
					1973–1983 [data unknown/missing]
Peter H. Kostmayer	Democratic	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981	95th 96th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
James K. Coyne, III	Republican	January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983	97th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Peter H. Kostmayer	Democratic	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993	98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.	1983–1993 [data unknown/missing]
James C. Greenwood	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2005	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.	1993–2003 [data unknown/missing]
					2003–2013
Mike Fitzpatrick	Republican	January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007	109th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Patrick Murphy	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011	110th 111th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Mike Fitzpatrick	Republican	January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017	112th 113th 114th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
					2013–2019
Brian Fitzpatrick	Republican	January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019	115th	Elected in 2016. Redistricted to the 1st district.
Matt Cartwright	Democratic	January 3, 2019 – present	116th	Redistricted from the 17th district. [data unknown/missing]	2019–Present

See also

• List of United States congressional districts
• Pennsylvania's congressional districts

References

1. "New Pennsylvania Map Is a Major Boost for Democrats". The Cook Political Report. February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
2. "Congressional Interactive District Map". Retrieved 30 August 2016.
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. "Battle for the House 2018". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
5. "2012 General Election—Official Returns". Pennsylvania Department of State. 2012-11-06. Archived from the original on 2012-11-16. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
6. "Pennsylvania 2014 General Election - November 4, 2014 Official Results". Pennsylvania Secretary of State. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.

• 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.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• Congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania