Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district
	Boundaries since January 2019.; Statistics below, except PVI, apply to the old boundaries.
	Susan Wild; D–South Whitehall Township
Distribution	87.65% urban[1]; 12.35% rural;
Population (2010)	692,866
Ethnicity	88.3% white; 5.6% black; 3.9% Asian; 1.3% Hispanic; 0.1% other; .07% Native American;
Cook PVI	D+1[2]

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

From 2013 through 2018, the district incorporated parts of the Philadelphia suburbs, including most of Delaware County along with portions of Chester County, Montgomery County, Berks County, and Lancaster County. The district exhibited extreme non-congruity during that time as a result of gerrymandering.[3] 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. Most of the population in the old 7th became part of a new fifth 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]

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.

Elections

Year	Office	Results
2002	Representative	Weldon 66.09–33.91%
2004	President	Kerry 53–47%
2004	Representative	Weldon 58.8–40.3%
2006	Representative	Sestak 56.4–43.6%
2008	President	Obama 56–43%
2008	Representative	Sestak 59.6–40.4%
2010	Representative	Meehan 54.9–44.1%
2012	President	Romney 50.4–48.5%
2012	Representative	Meehan 59.4–40.6%
2014	Representative	Meehan 62.0–38.0%
2016	President	Clinton 49.3–47.0%
2016	Representative	Meehan 59.5–40.5%

Geography

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 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."[6] The Washington Post listed it as one of the ten most gerrymandered districts in the country.[7]

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.

Demographics

The district encompasses an area of diverse wealth, ranging from blue collar and working class households in the southeastern portions of Delaware County (mostly around in the oil refinery areas of Marcus Hook and Trainer) to the southern and western portions of the affluent Main Line area of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. The district is the home of several major colleges and universities, including Haverford College; Villanova University; Penn State Brandywine; Delaware County Community College; Eastern University; and Cheyney University, the first traditionally black college in the U.S. The district is also the home of Boeing's helicopter facility in Ridley Park. Chester, the only city in Delaware County, is split between the 7th district and 1st Congressional District, but is mostly in the 1st district.

List of members representing the district

1791 – 1793: One seat

District created in 1791.

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Thomas Hartley	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

District restored in 1795.

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
John W. Kittera	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	Federalist	March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803	7th	Elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 3rd district and lost re-election.
John Rea	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	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813	12th	Elected in 1810. Redistricted to the 8th district.
John M. Hyneman	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	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	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	Democratic-Republican	December 26, 1820 – March 3, 1821	16th	Elected December 10, 1820 to finish Hiester's term and seated January 8, 1821.[8] Had not been a candidate for the next term.
Ludwig Worman	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	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

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Henry Wilson	Jackson Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th	Elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Died.	Daniel Udree	Jackson Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th	Re-elected in 1822. Retired.
Henry Wilson	Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – August 24, 1826	19th	Elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Died.	William Addams	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	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.	Jacksonian	March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831	20th 21st	Elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Retired.
Joseph Fry Jr.	Jacksonian	March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831	20th 21st	Elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Retired.	Henry A. P. Muhlenberg	Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd	Elected in 1828. Re-elected in 1830. Redistricted to the 9th district.
Henry King	Jacksonian	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833	22nd	Elected in 1830. Redistricted to the 8th district.	Henry A. P. Muhlenberg	Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd

1833–Present: One seat

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
David D. Wagener	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 unknown/missing]
David D. Wagener	Democratic	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841	25th 26th
John Westbrook	Democratic	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843	27th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Abraham R. McIlvaine	Whig	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849	28th 29th 30th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
Jesse C. Dickey	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851	31st	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
John A. Morrison	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853	32nd	[data unknown/missing]
Samuel A. Bridges	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Samuel C. Bradshaw	Opposition	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Henry Chapman	Democratic	March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859	35th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Henry C. Longnecker	Republican	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861	36th	[data unknown/missing]
Thomas B. Cooper	Democratic	March 4, 1861 – April 4, 1862	37th	[data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		April 4, 1862 – June 3, 1862	37th
John D. Stiles	Democratic	June 3, 1862 – March 3, 1863	37th	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 6th district.
John M. Broomall	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869	38th 39th 40th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Washington Townsend	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875	41st 42nd 43rd	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 6th district.
Alan Wood Jr.	Republican	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	44th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Isaac N. Evans	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879	45th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
William Godshalk	Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883	46th 47th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Isaac N. Evans	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887	48th 49th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Robert M. Yardley	Republican	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891	50th 51st	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Edwin Hallowell	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	52nd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Irving P. Wanger	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903	53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 8th district.
Thomas S. Butler	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1923	58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th	Redistricted from the 6th district. Redistricted to the 8th district.
George P. Darrow	Republican	March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1937	68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th	Redistricted from the 6th district. Lost re-election.
Ira W. Drew	Democratic	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939	75th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
George P. Darrow	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941	76th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
Hugh Scott	Republican	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945	77th 78th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
James Wolfenden	Republican	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947	79th	Redistricted from the 8th district. Retired.
E. Wallace Chadwick	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	80th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination.
Benjamin F. James	Republican	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1959	81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
William H. Milliken Jr.	Republican	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1965	86th 87th 88th	[data unknown/missing] Retired.
G. Robert Watkins	Republican	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967	89th	[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 9th district.
Lawrence G. Williams	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975	90th 91st 92nd 93rd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Robert W. Edgar	Democratic	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987	94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th	[data unknown/missing] Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Curt Weldon	Republican	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2007	100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Joe Sestak	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011	110th 111th	[data unknown/missing] Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
Pat Meehan	Republican	January 3, 2011 – April 27, 2018	112th 113th 114th 115th	[data unknown/missing] Resigned.
Vacant		April 27, 2018 – November 6, 2018	115th
Mary Gay Scanlon	Democratic	November 6, 2018 – January 3, 2019	115th	Elected to finish Meehan's term. Redistricted to the 5th district.
Susan Wild	Democratic	January 3, 2019 – present	116th	Redistricted from the 15th district and re-elected in 2018.

Historical district boundaries

2003–2013
2013–2019

References

https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/cd_state.html
"New Pennsylvania Map Is a Major Boost for Democrats". The Cook Political Report. February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
Ingraham, Christopher. "This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see". Washington Post. Washington Post. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
"Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes down state's congressional districts". CBS News. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. CBS News. January 24, 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
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.
"The System Is Rigged". On the Media. October 21, 2016.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/
"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.
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

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[1] ttps://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/cd_state.html

[Cook-2] "New Pennsylvania Map Is a Major Boost for Democrats". The Cook Political Report. February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.

[WashPost-3] Ingraham, Christopher. "This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see". Washington Post. Washington Post. Retrieved 2 March 2015.

[4] "Pennsylvania Supreme Court strikes down state's congressional districts". CBS News. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. CBS News. January 24, 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.

[cbq-5] 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] "The System Is Rigged". On the Media. October 21, 2016.

[7] ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/

[16thRoster-8] "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.