Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district
Current Representative		Pat Meehan (R–Drexel Hill)
Population (2010)	692,866
Median income	$73,638
Ethnicity	88.3% White, 5.6% Black, 3.9% Asian, 1.3% Hispanic, .07% Native American, 0.1% other
Cook PVI	EVEN

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district incorporates parts of the Philadelphia suburbs, including most of Delaware County along with portions of Chester County, Montgomery County, Berks County, and Lancaster County. It is currently represented by Republican Pat Meehan in the 113th United States Congress.

The district from 2003 to 2013

Geography

The 2013-2023 version of the district contains 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 contains 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 2003-2013 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 around Upper Merion Township.

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 Widener University; Swarthmore College; Haverford College; Villanova University; Bryn Mawr College; 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 largest city in Delaware County, is not represented by the district (it is under the 1st Congressional District, which also includes South Philadelphia), but receives attention from the district due to Chester's influence to the rest of the county.

Representatives

1791–1793: One seat

District created in 1791 from the at-large district

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Note
Thomas Hartley	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793		Redistricted from the At-large district; Redistricted to the At-large district

District redistricted in 1793 to the at-large district

1795–1823: One seat

District created in 1795 from the at-large district

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Note
John W. Kittera	Federalist	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1801		Redistricted from the At-large district
Thomas Boude	Federalist	March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803
John Rea	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1811
William Piper	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813		Redistricted to the 8th district
John M. Hyneman	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1813 – August 2, 1813		Redistricted from the 3rd district; Resigned
Vacant		August 2, 1813 – October 12, 1813
Daniel Udree	Democratic-Republican	October 12, 1813 – March 3, 1815		Lost re-election
Joseph Hiester	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1815 – December ????, 1820		Resigned to become Governor of Pennsylvania
Vacant		December ????, 1820 – December 26, 1820 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Daniel Udree	Democratic-Republican	December 26, 1820 – March 3, 1821
Ludwig Worman	Federalist	March 4, 1821 – October 17, 1822	Earl Township	Died
Vacant		October 17, 1822 – December 10, 1822
Daniel Udree	Democratic-Republican	December 10, 1822 – March 3, 1823

1823–1833: Two seats

Seat A

Representative	Party	Years	Congress	Note
Henry Wilson	Jackson Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th	Died
	Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – August 24, 1826	19th
Vacant		August 24, 1826 – December 4, 1826
Jacob Krebs	Jacksonian	December 4, 1826 – March 3, 1827
Joseph Fry, Jr.	Jacksonian	March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831	20th 21st	Retired
Henry King	Jacksonian	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833	22nd	Redistricted to the 8th district

Seat B

Representative	Party	Years	Congress	Note
Daniel Udree	Jackson Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th
William Addams	Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829	19th 20th
Henry A. P. Muhlenberg	Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd	Redistricted to the 9th district

1833 – Present: One seat

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Note
David D. Wagener	Jacksonian	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837	Easton
	Democratic	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841
John Westbrook	Democratic	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843	Dingmans Ferry	Retired
Abraham R. McIlvaine	Whig	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849	Downingtown	Lost renomination
Jesse C. Dickey	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851	New London	Lost re-election
John A. Morrison	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853	Cochranville
Samuel A. Bridges	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	Allentown	Lost re-election
Samuel C. Bradshaw	Opposition	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	Quakertown	Lost re-election
Henry Chapman	Democratic	March 4, 1857 –March 3, 1859	Doylestown	Retired
Henry C. Longnecker	Republican	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861		Allentown
Thomas B. Cooper	Democratic	March 4, 1861 – April 4, 1862	Coopersburg	Died
Vacant		April 4, 1862 – June 3, 1862
John D. Stiles	Democratic	June 3, 1862 – March 3, 1863	Allentown	Redistricted to the 6th district
John M. Broomall	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869	Media	Retired
Washington Townsend	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875	West Chester	Redistricted to the 6th district
Alan Wood, Jr.	Republican	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877	Philadelphia	Retired
Isaac N. Evans	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879	Doylestown	Retired
William Godshalk	Republican	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883	Hatboro	Retired
Isaac N. Evans	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887	Hatboro	Retired
Robert M. Yardley	Republican	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891	Doylestown	Retired
Edwin Hallowell	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893		Lost re-election
Irving P. Wanger	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903		Redistricted to the 8th district
Thomas S. Butler	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1923	Uwchlan Township	Redistricted from the 6th district; Redistricted to the 8th district
George P. Darrow	Republican	March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1937	Philadelphia	Redistricted from the 6th district; Lost re-election
Ira W. Drew	Democratic	January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939	Philadelphia	Lost re-election
George P. Darrow	Republican	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941	Philadelphia	Retired
Hugh Scott	Republican	January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945	Philadelphia	Lost re-election
James Wolfenden	Republican	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947	Upper Darby Township	Redistricted from the 8th district; Retired
E. Wallace Chadwick	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	Radnor Township	Lost renomination
Benjamin F. James	Republican	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1959	Radnor Township	Retired
William H. Milliken, Jr.	Republican	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1965	Sharon Hill	Retired
G. Robert Watkins	Republican	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967	West Chester	Redistricted to the 9th district
Lawrence G. Williams	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975	Springfield, Delaware County	Lost re-election
Robert W. Edgar	Democratic	January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987	Springfield, Delaware County	Did not seek re-election; ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Arlen Specter
Curt Weldon	Republican	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2007	Marcus Hook	Lost re-election
Joe Sestak	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011	Edgmont Township	Did not seek re-election in 2010; ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate instead.
Pat Meehan	Republican	January 3, 2011 – present	Drexel Hill	Incumbent

Recent electoral history

2010 election

Main article: Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district election, 2010

In 2009, incumbent Representative Joe Sestak decided to retire from the seat to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in a primary election. State Representative Bryan Lentz of the 161st State Legislative District decided to run for the open seat, and was endorsed by the Delaware County Democratic Committee. Pat Meehan, the former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and former Delaware County, Pennsylvania District Attorney, D.A. was the Republican running for the seat. Jim Schneller, an independent candidate with the party label "American Congress Party" was also a ballot qualified candidate. Pat Meehan ended up winning the general election on Nov 2, 2010 by a 55% to 44% margin over Lentz.

References

• 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

• District map
• Congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania