Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district explained

State:	Pennsylvania
District Number:	6
Image Caption:	Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 (Chester County outlined in red)
Representative:	Chrissy Houlahan
Party:	Democratic
Residence:	Devon
Distribution Ref:	^[1]
Population:	771,296^[2]
Population Year:	2022
Median Income:	$98,751^[3]
Percent White:	69.2
Percent Hispanic:	16.4
Percent Black:	5.4
Percent Asian:	5.1
Percent More Than One Race:	3.3
Percent Other Race:	0.5
Cpvi:	D+5^[4]

Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district is a district in the state of Pennsylvania. It includes all of Chester County and the southeastern portion of Berks County including the city of Reading and its southeastern suburbs. The district is represented by Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, who has served in Congress since 2019. As currently drawn, the district is among the wealthiest in Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional.^[5]

Jim Gerlach served as the district's Representative from 2003 to 2014. In 2004 and 2006, Gerlach won re-election against fellow attorney and now Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lois Murphy. In 2008, he successfully ran for re-election against businessman and veteran Bob Roggio. In the 2010 and 2012 elections, Gerlach defeated physician and Iraq War veteran Manan Trivedi, the Democratic nominee.

In January 2014, Gerlach announced that he would not stand for reelection to the 114th Congress. In the race to succeed Gerlach, Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello won the Republican nomination and physician and Iraq war veteran Manan Trivedi secured the Democratic party's nomination.^[6]

In February 2018, following the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's ordered redrawing of congressional districts, Costello announced he would not stand for reelection and retire at the end of the 115th Congress, leaving businessman Greg McCauley as the sole Republican candidate while the Democrats nominated Air Force veteran Chrissy Houlahan.^[7] Houlahan defeated McCauley in the general election.^[8]

Recent statewide election results

Year	Office	Results
2002	Representative	align=right	Gerlach 51.4–48.6%
2004	President	align=right	Kerry 52–48%
2004	Representative	align=right	Gerlach 51–49%
2006	Representative	align=right	Gerlach 50.7–49.3%
2008	President	align=right	Obama 58–41%
2008	Representative	align=right	Gerlach 52.1–47.9%
2010	Representative	align=right	Gerlach 57.1–42.9%
2012	President	align=right	Romney 50.6–48.1%
2012	Representative	align=right	Gerlach 57.1–42.9%
2014	Representative	align=right	Costello 56.3–43.7%
2016	President	align=right	Clinton 47.6–47.0%
2016	Representative	align=right	Costello 57.3–42.7%
2018	Representative	align=right	Houlahan 58.8–41.1%
2020	President	align=right	Biden 56.9–41.9%
2020	Representative	align=right	Houlahan 56.1–43.9%
2022	Governor	align=right	Shapiro 61–37%
2022	Senate	align=right	Fetterman 56–41%

Geography

2003 to 2012

Prior to the court-ordered redistricting, the 6th district's incarnation dated back to 2002. Its strange shape brought charges of gerrymandering by Democrats who argued it "looms like a dragon descending on Philadelphia from the west, splitting up towns and communities throughout Montgomery and Berks Counties."^[9] The combination of very affluent suburban areas of Philadelphia and sparsely populated rural areas was possibly designed to capture Republican voters, but changes in voting patterns in southeastern Pennsylvania has made the district much more competitive. The district had a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+1 after the 2012 redistricting. It was rated D+4 before then.^[10] The district included parts of Montgomery County, Chester County, Berks County and Lehigh County. The largest cities in the district were Reading and Norristown.

2013 to 2018

The redistricting of 2011/2012 changed it to include parts of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lebanon counties. The following municipalities constituted the sixth district:^[11]

Berks County

Chester County

Lebanon County

Montgomery County

2019

The court-ordered map made the 6th a more compact district in Berks and Chester counties.

List of members representing the district

1791–1793: one seat

District created in 1791 from the .

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
District first established March 4, 1791
align=left	Andrew Gregg		Anti-Administration	nowrap	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793		Elected in 1791. Redistricted to the .

District redistricted in 1793 to the .

1795–1823: one seat, then two

District created in 1795.

Cong ress	Years	Seat A			Seat B
Cong ress	Years	Representative	Party	Electoral history	Representative	Party	Electoral history
	nowrap	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797	align=left	Samuel Maclay		Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1794. Lost re-election.	Second seat added in 1813
	nowrap	March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803	align=left	John A. Hanna		Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the .
	nowrap	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805	align=left	John Stewart		Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1802. Lost re-election.
	nowrap	March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1809	align=left	James Kelly		Federalist	Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Lost re-election.
	nowrap	March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1813	align=left	William Crawford		Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Redistricted to the .
	nowrap	March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815	Samuel D. Ingham	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Resigned.	align=left	Robert Brown		Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Retired.
	nowrap	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817	John Ross	Democratic-Republican		Elected in 1814. Re-elected in 1816. Resigned to become president judge of the seventh judicial district of Pennsylvania.
	nowrap	March 4, 1817 – February 24, 1818
	nowrap	February 24, 1818 – March 3, 1818	Vacant
	nowrap	March 3, 1818 – July 6, 1818	Thomas Jones Rogers	Democratic-Republican		Elected to finish Ross's term. Also elected 1818 to the next term. Re-elected in 1820. Redistricted to the .
	nowrap	July 6, 1818 – October 13, 1818	Vacant
	nowrap	October 13, 1818 – March 3, 1819	Samuel Moore	Democratic-Republican	Elected to finish Ingham's term. Also elected 1818 to the next term. Re-elected in 1820. Resigned.
	nowrap	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821
	nowrap	March 4, 1821 – May 20, 1822
	nowrap	May 20, 1822 – October 7, 1822	Vacant
	nowrap	October 7, 1822 – March 3, 1823	align=left	Samuel D. Ingham			Democratic-Republican	Elected to finish Moore's term. Redistricted to the .

1823 – present: one seat

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Robert Harris		Jackson Democratic-Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825		Elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Retired.
	Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827			Elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Retired.
align=left	Innis Green		Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831		Elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828. Retired.
align=left	John C. Bucher		Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833		Elected in 1830. Redistricted to the .
align=left	Robert Ramsey		Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835		Elected in 1832. Retired.
Mathias Morris		Anti-Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837		Elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Lost re-election.
	Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839			Elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Lost re-election.
align=left	John Davis		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841		Elected in 1838. Lost re-election.
align=left	Robert Ramsey		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843		Elected in 1840. Retired.
align=left	Michael H. Jenks		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845		Elected in 1843. Lost re-election.
align=left	Jacob Erdman		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847		Elected in 1844. Lost re-election.
align=left	John Westbrook Hornbeck		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1847 – January 16, 1848		Elected in 1846. Died.
Vacant		nowrap	January 17, 1848 – March 5, 1848
align=left	Samuel A. Bridges		Democratic	nowrap	March 6, 1848 – March 3, 1849		Elected to finish Hornbeck's term. Retired.
align=left	Thomas Ross		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853		Elected in 1848. Re-elected in 1850.
align=left	William Everhart		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855		Elected in 1852.
John Hickman		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859		Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Re-elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860.
	Anti-Lecompton Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861
	Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863
align=left	John D. Stiles		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865		Elected in 1862.
align=left	Benjamin M. Boyer		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869		Elected in 1864. Re-elected in 1866. Retired.
align=left	John D. Stiles		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1868. Retired.
align=left	Ephraim L. Acker		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873		Elected in 1870. Lost re-election.
align=left	James S. Biery		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875		Elected in 1872. Retired.
align=left	Washington Townsend		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1874. Retired.
align=left	William Ward		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883		Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Retired.
align=left	James B. Everhart		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887		Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Lost renomination.
align=left	Smedley Darlington		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891		Elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Retired.
align=left	John B. Robinson		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1897		Elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Lost re-election.
Thomas S. Butler		Independent Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899		Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900.
	Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903			Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900.
align=left	George D. McCreary		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913		Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Retired.
align=left	J. Washington Logue		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915		Elected in 1912. Lost re-election.
align=left	George P. Darrow		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923		Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Redistricted to the .
align=left	George A. Welsh		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1923 – May 31, 1932		Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Resigned to become a district court judge.
Vacant		nowrap	May 31, 1932 – November 8, 1932
align=left	Robert L. Davis		Republican		nowrap	November 8, 1932 – March 3, 1933	Elected to finish Welsh's term.
align=left	Edward L. Stokes		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932. Retired to run for Governor.
align=left	Michael J. Stack		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1939		Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Lost renomination and lost re-election under a different party.
align=left	Francis J. Myers		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1945		Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942.
align=left	Herbert J. McGlinchey		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947		Elected in 1944. Lost re-election.
align=left	Hugh Scott		Republican	nowrap	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959		Elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
align=left	Herman Toll		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963		Elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Redistricted to the .
align=left	George M. Rhodes		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1969		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Retired.
align=left	Gus Yatron		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1993		Elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired.
align=left	Tim Holden		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003		Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Redistricted to the .
align=left	Jim Gerlach		Republican	nowrap	January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2015		Elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Retired.
align=left	Ryan Costello		Republican	nowrap	January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019		Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Retired.
align=left	Chrissy Houlahan		Democratic	nowrap	January 3, 2019 – present		Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022.

Recent election results

2022

References

Book: Martis, Kenneth C. . The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress . 1989 . Macmillan Publishing Company . New York.
Book: Martis, Kenneth C. . The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts . 1982 . Macmillan Publishing Company . New York.
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

Congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania

40.0603°N -75.6408°W

Notes and References

Web site: Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based) - Geography - U.S. Census Bureau. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130402141525/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/cd_state.html . April 2, 2013 .
Web site: My Congressional District.
https://www.census.gov/mycd/?st=42&cd=06 "Congressional District 6 (118th Congress), Pennsylvania" (under "Socio-Economic" header)
Web site: 2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List. 2023-01-10. The Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022 . en.
News: The New Pennsylvania House Districts Are In. We Review the Mapmakers' Choices. . . The Upshot . February 19, 2018 . February 20, 2018 . Nate . Cohn . Matthew . Bloch . Kevin . Quealy .
Web site: Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District elections, 2014 - Ballotpedia.
Web site: These 6 Pennsylvania Democratic nominees are key to the battle for House control. Prokop. Andrew. 2018-05-16. Vox. 2019-01-04.
Web site: Democrat Chrissy Houlahan elected to House in Pennsylvania. Burke. Michael. 2018-11-06. The Hill. en. 2019-01-04.
VIETH et al. v. JUBELIRER, PRESIDENT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SENATE, et al., 541 U.S. 267 (United States Supreme Court 2004) (see http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=02-1580) (plurality opinion of Court holding political gerrymandering claims in the District nonjusticiable based on the lack of workable standards)
Web site: 2012 COMPETITIVE HOUSE RACE CHART. The Cook Political Report. March 27, 2012.
Web site: Municipalities Congressman Ryan Costello. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160907005408/https://costello.house.gov/about/municipalities . September 7, 2016 .