Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Current Representative Joe Pitts (R)
Distribution
  • 76.05% urban
  • 23.95% rural
Population (2000) 646,328
Median income 45,943
Ethnicity
Occupation
Cook PVI R+6[1]

Pennsylvania’s 16th congressional district is located in the southeastern part of the state, just west of Philadelphia. Created after the 2000 Census, the district is composed of a large portion of southern Chester County, most of Lancaster County, and a sliver of Berks County, including the city of Reading. The 16th stretches from the southwestern suburbs of Philadelphia in the east to the Susquehanna River in the west, and north to include areas around Reading.

In 2000, the 16th Congressional District was home to 646,328 residents,[2] according to the U.S. Census, and its population has increased since that year. Residents of Lancaster County make up the majority of the district's population, followed by Chester County and Berks County. The district is one of the Pennsylvania districts accused of being the result of gerrymandering.

The district can be characterized as predominantly suburban and rural, with some urban pockets of cities and towns. This has produced one of the main dilemmas facing the district: suburban sprawl and economic development versus the need for the preservation of farmland. Chester County, for example, has been simultaneously the fourth most agriculturally active county in the state and the fastest-growing county in the state. Lancaster County also shares the predicament of being a fast-growing county with pressure to preserve agricultural land.

The eastern parts of the district are characterized as suburbs of Philadelphia and of Wilmington, Delaware. Suburbanizing Lancaster County has also seen a tremendous amount of development over the past 15 years in the form of rapidly growing new housing developments and shopping centers. Areas of northwestern Lancaster County border on the suburbs of Harrisburg, and have many commuters to the capital city.

While development in the district continues at a high pace along the access routes to Philadelphia, Lancaster and Reading, the district is home to large tracts of agricultural land. Much of the land is devoted to commercial farming, but a large portion is also devoted to raising horses for steeplechase, fox hunting, and lately flat racing, especially in Chester County. Lancaster and Chester Counties have traditionally been home to many Amish and Mennonite farming communities.

Pockets of urban areas exist in and around the cities of Lancaster, Reading, and West Chester.

The district is also home to hundreds of historic homes and buildings, many predating the American Revolution. The historic preservation of these sites is as important to the district as the preservation of its agriculture, and the combination gives the district an old-world aesthetic often captured in the paintings of local artist Andrew Wyeth.

The District has been represented by Republican Joe Pitts since 1997.

Recent election results

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

Source: http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us

Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct Green Votes Pct Constitution Votes Pct Independent Votes Pct Independent Votes Pct
2000 Bob Yorczyk 80,177 33.1% Joe Pitts 162,403 67.0%
2002 Joe Pitts 119,046 88.5% Will Todd 8,720 6.5% Kenneth Brenneman 6,766 5.0%
2004 Lois Herr 98,410 34.5% Joe Pitts 183,620 64.4% William Hagen 3,269 1.25
2006 Lois Herr 80,915 39.6% Joe Pitts 115,741 56.6% John
Murphy
7,958 3.9%
2008 Bruce Slater 120,193 39.4% Joe Pitts 170,329 55.8% Daniel Frank 2,877 0.9% John
Murphy
11,768 3.9%
2010 Lois Herr 70,994 34.6% Joe Pitts 134,113 65.4%
2012 Aryanna Strader 109,026 39% Joe Pitts 154,337 55% John
Murphy
10,080 4% Jim Bednarski 4995 2%
2014 Tom Houghton 73,921 42.2% Joe Pitts 101,083 57.8%

U.S. President

Year District winner
2004 Bush 61 - 38%
2008 McCain 51 - 48%
2012 Romney 52.4 - 46.3%

Counties and municipalities within the district

Berks County: Bern, Lower Heidelberg, Reading, South Heidelberg, Spring, Wernersville Borough

Chester County: Avondale, Birmingham, East Bradford, East Fallowfield, East Marlborough, East Nottingham, Elk, Franklin, Highland, Kennett Square Borough, Kennett Township, London Britain, London Grove, Londonderry, Lower Oxford, Newlin, New Garden, New London, Oxford, Parkesburg, Penn, Pennsbury, Upper Oxford, West Chester, West Fallowfield, West Grove, West Marlborough, West Nottingham

Lancaster County: All

List of representatives

The district was created with two seats in 1823

1823–1833: Two seats

Congress Years Seat A Seat B
Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history
18 March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825
James Allison, Jr. Jacksonian DR Resigned before Congress convened Walter Forward Jacksonian DR Redistricted from the 14th district
Lost re-election
19 March 4, 1825 –
????, 1825
Jacksonian James S. Stevenson Jacksonian Lost re-election
????, 1825 –
October 11, 1825
Vacant
October 11, 1825 –
March 3, 1827
Robert Orr, Jr. Jacksonian [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
20 March 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1829
21 March 4, 1829 –
December 15, 1829
Vacant John Gilmore Jacksonian [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
December 15, 1829 –
March 3, 1831
Harmar Denny Anti-Masonic Elected after William Wilkins resigned in 1829 before qualifying
Redistricted to the 22nd district
22 March 4, 1831 –
March 3, 1833

1833-Present: One seat

Representative Party Years Electoral history
Joseph B. Anthony Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1837
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Robert H. Hammond Democratic March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1841
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John Snyder Democratic March 4, 1841 –
March 3, 1843
Lost re-election
James Black Democratic March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1847
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Jasper E. Brady Whig March 4, 1847 –
March 3, 1849
Lost re-election
James X. McLanahan Democratic March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1853
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
William H. Kurtz Democratic March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
Redistricted from 15th district
Lemuel Todd Opposition March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1857
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John A. Ahl Democratic March 4, 1857 –
March 3, 1859
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Benjamin F. Junkin Republican March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861
Lost re-election
Joseph Bailey Democratic March 4, 1861 –
March 3, 1863
Redistricted to 15th district
Alexander H. Coffroth Democratic March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1865
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Vacant March 4, 1865 –
February 19, 1866
Contested election
Alexander H. Coffroth Democratic February 19, 1866 –
July 18, 1866
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
William H. Koontz Republican July 18, 1866 –
March 3, 1869
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John Cessna Republican March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1871
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Benjamin F. Meyers Democratic March 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1873
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John Cessna Republican March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Sobieski Ross Republican March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877
Redistricted from 18th district
John I. Mitchell Republican March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1881
Elected to United States Senate
Robert J. C. Walker Republican March 4, 1881 –
March 3, 1883
Declined renomination
William W. Brown Republican March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Henry C. McCormick Republican March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1891
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Albert C. Hopkins Republican March 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1895
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Fred C. Leonard Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1897
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Horace B. Packer Republican March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1901
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Elias Deemer Republican March 4, 1901 –
March 3, 1903
Redistricted to 15th district
Charles H. Dickerman Democratic March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1905
Declined renomination
Edmund W. Samuel Republican March 4, 1905 –
March 3, 1907
Lost re-election
John G. McHenry Democratic March 4, 1907 –
December 27, 1912
Died
Vacant December 27, 1912 –
March 4, 1913
John V. Lesher Democratic March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1921
Lost re-election
I. Clinton Kline Republican March 4, 1921 –
March 3, 1923
Lost re-election
Edgar R. Kiess Republican March 4, 1923 –
July 20, 1930
Redistricted from 15th district
Died
Vacant July 20, 1930 –
November 4, 1930
Robert F. Rich Republican November 4, 1930 –
January 3, 1943
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Thomas E. Scanlon Democratic January 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1945
Redistricted from 30th district
Lost re-election
Samuel K. McConnell, Jr. Republican January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1953
Redistricted from 17th district
Redistricted to 13th district
Walter M. Mumma Republican January 3, 1953 –
February 25, 1961
Redistricted from 18th district
Died
Vacant February 25, 1961 –
May 16, 1961
John C. Kunkel Republican May 16, 1961 –
December 30, 1966
Resigned
Vacant December 30, 1966 –
January 3, 1967
Edwin D. Eshleman Republican January 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1977
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Robert S. Walker Republican January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1997
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Joseph R. Pitts Republican January 3, 1997 –
January 3, 2017
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Lloyd Smucker Republican January 3, 2017 –
[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Historical district boundaries

2005 - 2013

See also

References

  1. "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 113th Congress: 2004 & 2008" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-10.

Coordinates: 40°01′15″N 76°12′48″W / 40.02083°N 76.21333°W / 40.02083; -76.21333

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