Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district
This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (March 2012) |
Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district | |
---|---|
Representative | |
Population (2018) | 680,927 |
Median household income | 50,166 |
Ethnicity |
|
Cook PVI | R+20[1] |
Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district has been located in western Pennsylvania since February 2018. The district includes all of Warren County, McKean County, Forest County, Venango County, Elk County, Cameron County, Clarion County, Jefferson County, Armstrong County, Clearfield County, Indiana County, most of Cambria County and Centre County, and parts of Butler County.
From 2013 to 2019, the district stretched from the suburbs east of Harrisburg to communities east of Allentown and the New Jersey border. Counties located in the district included all of Lehigh County and parts of Berks County, Dauphin County, Lebanon County, and Northampton County.
From 2003 to 2013 it comprised all of Northampton County, most of Lehigh County, and small parts of Berks and Montgomery counties. The district included the Lehigh Valley, Indian Valley and Upper Perkiomen Valley regions. In the mid-20th century, it included Tioga County.
Since the 21st century, it has a slight Democratic tilt in registered voters due to the presence of fairly large cities such as Allentown and Bethlehem, with industrial histories. The Democrats in the Lehigh Valley are generally considered more moderate than their counterparts in the Philadelphia area, particularly on social issues. The district has elected Republican candidates for all but six years since 1979. During 1999–2005, Pat Toomey represented the district. From 2005 to 2018, fellow Republican Charlie Dent represented the district; in September 2017 he announced he would be retiring and not seek re-election in 2018. Democrat Susan Wild won the special election.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional because it had gerrymandered too much on behalf of the Republican Party. In 2012 Democrats had won only five of the state’s 18 congressional districts, the year the previous redistricting by the legislature took effect, although they won the House statewide popular vote by 1.5 percentage points.[2]
In the redistricting, the old 15th district had its boundaries compressed around Allentown and became the 7th district, while the old 5th district had its boundaries adjusted and became the 15th district for the 2018 election and representation thereafter.[3] It has been represented by Glenn Thompson since January 3, 2019.
List of members representing the district
Member | Party | Years | Cong ress |
Electoral history | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District created in 1813 | |||||
Vacant | March 4, 1813 – May 14, 1813 |
13th | Representative-elect Abner Lacock was elected in 1812 but resigned February 24, 1813. | 1813–1823 [data missing] | |
Thomas Wilson | Democratic-Republican | May 14, 1813 – March 3, 1817 |
13th 14th |
Elected to finish Lacock's term. Re-elected in 1814. Retired. | |
Robert Moore | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 |
15th 16th |
Elected in 1816. Re-elected in 1818. Lost re-election. | |
Patrick Farrelly | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823 |
17th | Elected in 1820. Redistricted to the 18th district. | |
Thomas Patterson | Jacksonian Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 |
18th | Redistricted from the 12th district and re-elected in 1822. Retired. |
1823–1833 [data missing] |
Joseph Lawrence | Anti-Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829 |
19th 20th |
Elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Lost re-election. | |
William McCreery | Jacksonian | March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831 |
21st | Elected in 1828. Lost re-election. | |
Thomas M. T. McKennan |
Anti-Masonic | March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 |
22nd | Elected in 1830. Redistricted to the 21st district. | |
Andrew Beaumont | Jacksonian | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 |
23rd 24th |
Elected in 1832. Retired. |
1833–1843 [data missing] |
David Petrikin | Democratic | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841 |
25th 26th |
[data missing] | |
Benjamin A. Bidlack | Democratic | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 |
27th | [data missing] Redistricted to the 11th district. | |
Henry Nes | Independent Democratic |
March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
28th | [data missing] | 1843–1853 [data missing] |
Moses McClean | Democratic | March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 |
29th | [data missing] | |
Henry Nes | Whig | March 4, 1847 – September 10, 1850 |
30th 31st |
[data missing] Died. | |
Vacant | September 10, 1850 – December 2, 1850 |
31st | |||
Joel B. Danner | Democratic | December 2, 1850 – March 3, 1851 |
Elected to finish Nes's term. [data missing] | ||
William H. Kurtz | Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 |
32nd | [data missing] Redistricted to the 16th district. | |
James Gamble | Democratic | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 |
33rd | Redistricted from the 13th district. [data missing] |
1853–1863 [data missing] |
John J. Pearce | Opposition | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 |
34th | [data missing] Retired. | |
Allison White |
Democratic | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1859 |
35th | [data missing] Lost re-election. | |
James T. Hale |
Republican | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1863 |
36th 37th |
[data missing] Redistricted to the 18th district. | |
Joseph Bailey |
Democratic | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 |
38th | Redistricted from the 16th district. [data missing] |
1863–1873 [data missing] |
Adam J. Glossbrenner |
Democratic | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869 |
39th 40th |
[data missing] Lost re-election. | |
Richard J. Haldeman |
Democratic | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 |
41st 42nd |
[data missing] Retired. | |
John A. Magee |
Democratic | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 |
43rd | [data missing] Lost renomination. |
1873–1883 [data missing] |
Joseph Powell |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 |
44th | [data missing] Lost re-election. | |
Edward Overton Jr. |
Republican | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 |
45th 46th |
[data missing] Lost renomination. | |
Cornelius C. Jadwin |
Republican | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 |
47th | [data missing] Lost re-election. | |
George A. Post |
Democratic | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 |
48th | [data missing] | 1883–1903 [data missing] |
Frank C. Bunnell |
Republican | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 |
49th 50th |
[data missing] Retired. | |
Myron B. Wright |
Republican | March 4, 1889 – November 13, 1894 |
51st 52nd 53rd |
[data missing] Died. | |
Vacant | November 13, 1894 – February 23, 1895 |
53rd | |||
Edwin J. Jorden | Republican | February 23, 1895 – March 3, 1895 |
Elected to finish Wright's term in the 53rd Congress. Retired. | ||
Vacant | March 4, 1895 – November 5, 1895 |
54th | |||
James H. Codding |
Republican | November 5, 1895 – March 3, 1899 |
54th 55th |
Elected to finish Wright's term in the 54th Congress. Retired. | |
Charles F. Wright |
Republican | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 |
56th 57th |
[data missing] Retired. | |
Elias Deemer |
Republican | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907 |
58th 59th |
Redistricted from the 16th district. Lost re-election. |
1903–1923 [data missing] |
William B. Wilson |
Democratic | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913 |
60th 61st 62nd |
[data missing] Lost re-election. | |
Edgar R. Kiess |
Republican | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1923 |
63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th |
[data missing] Redistricted to the 16th district. | |
Louis T. McFadden |
Republican | March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1935 |
68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd |
Redistricted from the 14th district. Lost re-election. |
1923–1933 [data missing] |
1933–1943 [data missing] | |||||
Charles E. Dietrich | Democratic | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1937 |
74th | [data missing] Lost re-election. | |
Albert G. Rutherford |
Republican | January 3, 1937 – August 10, 1941 |
75th 76th 77th |
[data missing] Died. | |
Vacant | August 10, 1941 – November 4, 1941 |
77th | |||
Wilson D. Gillette |
Republican | November 4, 1941 – January 3, 1945 |
77th 78th |
Elected to finish Rutherford's term. Redistricted to the 14th district. | |
1943–1953 [data missing] | |||||
Robert F. Rich |
Republican | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1951 |
79th 80th 81st |
[data missing] Retired. | |
Alvin Bush |
Republican | January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 |
82nd | [data missing] Redistricted to the 17th district. | |
Francis E. Walter |
Democratic | January 3, 1953 – May 31, 1963 |
83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th |
Redistricted from the 21st district. Died. |
1953–1963 [data missing] |
1963–1973 [data missing] | |||||
Vacant | May 31, 1963 – July 30, 1963 |
88th | |||
Fred B. Rooney |
Democratic | July 30, 1963 – January 3, 1979 |
88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th |
Elected to finish Walter's term. Lost re-election. | |
1973–1983 [data missing] | |||||
Donald L. Ritter |
Republican | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1993 |
96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd |
[data missing] Lost re-election. | |
1983–1993 [data missing] | |||||
Paul F. McHale |
Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999 |
103rd 104th 105th |
[data missing] Retired. |
1993–2003 [data missing] |
Pat Toomey |
Republican | January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005 |
106th 107th 108th |
[data missing] Retired to run for U.S. Senator. | |
2003–2013 | |||||
Charlie Dent |
Republican | January 3, 2005 – May 12, 2018 |
109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th |
Elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Resigned. | |
2013–2019 | |||||
Vacant | May 12, 2018 – November 27, 2018 |
115th | |||
Susan Wild |
Democratic | November 27, 2018 – January 3, 2019 |
Elected to finish Dent's term.[4] Redistricted to the 7th district. | ||
G. T. Thompson |
Republican | January 3, 2019 – Present |
116th 117th 118th |
Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 2018. | 2019–present |
Recent Elections
Year | Election | Nominee | Party | Votes | % | Nominee | Party | Votes | % | Nominee | Party | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | General | Pat Toomey | Republican | 118,307 | 53% | Edward J. O'Brien | Democratic | 103,864 | 47% | |||||||
2002 | General | Pat Toomey | Republican | 98,493 | 57% | Edward J. O'Brien | Democratic | 73,212 | 43% | |||||||
2004 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 170,634 | 59% | Joe Driscoll | Democratic | 141,646 | 39% | |||||||
2006 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 106,153 | 54% | Charles Dertinger | Democratic | 86,186 | 43% | |||||||
2008 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 181,433 | 59% | Sam Bennett | Democratic | 128,333 | 41% | |||||||
2010 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 109,501 | 54% | John Callahan | Democratic | 79,857 | 39% | Jake Towne | Independent | 14,252 | 8% | |||
2012 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 168,960 | 57% | Rick Daugherty | Democratic | 128,764 | 43% | |||||||
2014 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 128,285 | 100% | |||||||||||
2016 | General | Charlie Dent | Republican | 185,204 | 58% | Rick Daugherty | Democratic | 120,190 | 38% | Paul Rizzo | Libertarian | 11,332 | 4% | |||
2018 | Special | Marty Nothstein | Republican | 129,594 | 48.26% | Susan Wild | Democratic | 130,353 | 48.54% | |||||||
2018 | General | G. T. Thompson | Republican | 162,386 | 67.9% | Susan Boser | Democratic | 76,769 | 32.1% |
See also
References
- ^ "New Pennsylvania Map Is a Major Boost for Democrats". The Cook Political Report. February 20, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- ^ "Adventures in Extreme Gerrymandering: See the Fair and Wildly Unfair Maps We Made for Pennsylvania", QUOCTRUNG BUI and NATE COHN, New York Times, 17 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.
- ^ Olson, Laura. "Susan Wild wins special congressional election to finish Charlie Dent's term". The Morning Call.
- 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
- "Pennsylvania Elections - Office Results - 2018 Special Election 15th Congressional District". Pennsylvania Elections - Summary Results.
- "Pennsylvania Elections - County Results". Pennsylvania Elections - Summary Results.