Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district

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Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district
Current Representative		Joe Sestak (D)
Population (2000)	646,522
Median income	$56,126
Ethnicity	89.2% White, 5.5% Black, 3.7% Asian, 1.3% Hispanic, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% other
Cook PVI	D+3

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district incorporates parts of the Philadelphia suburbs, including most of Delaware County. It is currently represented by Democrat Joe Sestak, who defeated longtime Republican incumbent Curt Weldon in the 2006 midterm elections in this once safely Republican district. In 2008, Sestak beat Wendell Craig Williams by 19.6%.

Ben Affleck's character in the movie State of Play is former Congressman Stephen Collins, who represented the 7th district.

[edit] Geography

Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district, is located in Southeast Pennsylvania. It contains the western and northwestern suburbs of Philadelphia. It consists 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, and a portion of southern Montgomery County in the affluent Main Line area.

[edit] Demographics

The PA 7th Congressional 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 PA 7th Congressional 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; 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 municipality in Delaware County, is not represented by the PA 7th Congressional District (it is under the Pennsylvania 1st Congressional District, which also includes South Philadelphia), but receives attention from the PA 7th due to Chester's influence to the rest of the county.

[edit] Representatives

[edit] 1791-1793: One seat

District created in 1791 from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district

District redistricted in 1793 to Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district

[edit] 1795-1823: One seat

District created in 1795 from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district

[edit] 1823-1833: Two seats

[edit] Seat A

[edit] Seat B

[edit] 1833 - Present: One seat

[edit] 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

[edit] External links

• District Map