- Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
-
Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district 
Current Representative Jim Gerlach (R–Chester Springs) Distribution 85.78% urban, 14.22% rural Population (2000) 646,221 Median income $55,611 Ethnicity 87.9% White, 6.8% Black, 2.1% Asian, 3.7% Hispanic, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% other Cook PVI D+4 Pennsylvania's 6th Congressional District was substantially redrawn in 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."[1] 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 has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of D +4.
Contents
Elections
The current Representative from the District is attorney Jim Gerlach, a Republican. He has served as the District's Representative since 2003. 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 2010 General Election, Gerlach defeated physician and Iraq War veteran Manan Trivedi, the Democratic nominee.
2010 Elections
In July 2009, Rep. Jim Gerlach announced his intention to run for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2010 and not to seek re-election.[2] Republicans initially faced a primary between Howard Cohen, Patrick Sellers, venture capitalist Steven Welch, and State Rep. Curt Schroder, with Schroder appearing to be the early front-runner.[3] Ryan Costello, Chester County Recorder of Deeds, dropped out of the race in late 2009.[4] In January 2010, Gerlach ended his gubernatorial campaign, and announced his intention to seek re-election to the House of Representatives. Schroder, Cohen and, Welch subsequently ended their campaigns, resulting in Gerlach facing only one primary challenger: Sellers.[5] On May 18, 2010, Gerlach defeated Sellers and became the Republican nominee for the General Election.
Due to Rep. Gerlach's early decision to retire and seek the Office of Governor, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee subsequently cited the District in a Memo as a Targeted District in the 2010 Election. In a therefore heated Democratic Primary race, journalist Doug Pike ran against physician and Iraq War veteran Manan Trivedi; and, on May 19, 2010, Pike conceded victory in the Primary to Trivedi.[6]
Geography
The district includes parts of Montgomery County, Chester County, Berks County and Lehigh County. The largest cities in the district are Reading and Norristown.
The following communities are all or partly in the sixth district:
Berks County
Cities: Reading: Wards: 1, 3 (Division 2), 9 (Division 5) Wards: 13 (Division 4 and 5), 14 (Divisions 1,5 and 6) Wards: 16 – 18, and 19 (Division 1)
Townships: Amity, Brecknock, Caernarvon, Colebrookdale, Cumru, District, Douglass, Earl District 2, Exeter, Hereford District 1, Longswamp, Lower Alsace, Maxatawny, Muhlenberg Districts 1 and 4, Robeson, South Heidelberg Precinct 2, Spring District 1, Union and Washington
Boroughs: Adamstown, Bally, Bechtelsville, Birdsboro, Boyertown, Kenhorst, Kutztown, Mohnton, Mount Penn, New Morgan, Shillington, Sinking Spring, St. Lawrence, Topton, West Lawn, West Reading, Womelsdorf, Wyomissing, and Wyomissing Hills
Chester County
Cities: Coatesville
Townships: Caln, Charlestown, East Bradford Districts North and South (Division 2), East Brandywine, East Caln, East Coventry, East Nantmeal, East Pikeland, East Vincent, East Whiteland, Easttown, Honey Brook, North Coventry, Pocopson, Sadsbury, Schuylkill, South Coventry, Tredyffrin, Upper Uwchlan, Uwchlan, Valley, Wallace, Warwick, West Bradford, West Brandywine, West Caln, West Nantmeal, West Pikeland, West Sadsbury, West Vincent and West Whiteland
Boroughs: Atglen, Downingtown, Elverson, Honey Brook, Modena, Phoenixville Wards East (Divisions 2 and 3), Middle, North and West, South Coatesville and Spring City
Lehigh County
Townships: Upper Macungie District 3
Montgomery County
Townships: East Norriton, Limerick, Lower Merion, Perkiomen, Plymouth Districts 1, 3 (Precinct 2), and 4, Skippack. Whitemarsh Districts W1 and W2, Whitpain District 8 and Worcester.
Boroughs: Collegeville, Conshohocken District 1, Narberth, Norristown, Pottstown and Trappe
List of representatives
1791-1793: One seat
District created in 1791 from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district
Representative Party Years District home Note Andrew Gregg Anti-Administration March 4, 1791 - March 3, 1793 Redistricted to At-large district District redistricted in 1793 to Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district
1795-1813: One seat
District created in 1795 from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district
Representative Party Years District home Note Samuel Maclay Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 - March 3, 1797 John Andre Hanna Democratic-Republican March 4, 1797 - March 3, 1803 Moved to the 4th district John Stewart Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1805 Moved from the 8th district James Kelly Federalist March 4, 1805 - March 3, 1809 William Crawford Democratic-Republican March 4, 1809 - March 3, 1813 Moved to the 5th district 1813-1823: Two seats
Seat A
Representative Party Years District home Note Samuel D. Ingham Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 – July 6, 1818 Resigned Vacant July 7, 1818 – October 12, 1818 Samuel Moore Democratic-Republican October 13, 1818 – May 20, 1822 Resigned Vacant May 21, 1822 – October 7, 1822 Samuel D. Ingham Democratic-Republican October 8, 1822 – March 3, 1823 Redistricted to the 8th district Seat B
Representative Party Years District home Note Robert Brown Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815 Redistricted from the 2nd district, Not a candidate for renomination John Ross Democratic-Republican March 4, 1815 – February 24, 1818 Resigned to become president judge of the seventh judicial district of Pennsylvania Vacant February 24, 1818 – October 12, 1818 Thomas Jones Rogers Democratic-Republican March 3, 1818 – March 3, 1823 Redistricted to the 8th district 1823 – present: One seat
Representative Party Years District home Note Robert Harris Jackson Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 Jacksonian March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1827 Innis Green Jacksonian March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831 John C. Bucher Jacksonian March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 Robert Ramsey Jacksonian March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835 Retired Mathias Morris Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837 Whig March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 Lost reelection John Davis Democratic March 4, 1839 –March 3, 1841 Davisville Lost reelection Robert Ramsey Whig March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 Retired Michael H. Jenks Whig March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 Newtown Lost reelection Jacob Erdman Democratic March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 Coopersburg Lost reelection John Westbrook Hornbeck Whig March 4, 1847 – January 16, 1848 Allentown Died Vacant January 17, 1848 – March 5, 1848 Samuel A. Bridges Democratic March 6, 1848 – March 3, 1849 Retired Thomas Ross Democratic March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853 William Everhart Whig March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 John Hickman Democratic March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859 Anti-Lecompton Democrat March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 Republican March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 John D. Stiles Democratic March 4, 1863 –March 3, 1865 Benjamin M. Boyer Democratic March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1869 Retired John D. Stiles Democratic March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871 Redistricted from the 7th district Retired
Ephraim L. Acker Democratic March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 Lost reelection James S. Biery Republican March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 Retired Washington Townsend Republican March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 Redistricted from the 7th district Retired
William Ward Republican March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883 Retired James B. Everhart Republican March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887 Lost renomination Smedley Darlington Republican March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891 West Chester Retired John B. Robinson Republican March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1897 Lost reelection Thomas S. Butler Independent Republican March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 Joined the Republican Party Republican March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1903 Redistricted to the 7th district George D. McCreary Republican March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913 Retired J. Washington Logue Democratic March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1915 Lost reelection George P. Darrow Republican March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923 Redistricted to the 7th district George A. Welsh Republican March 4, 1923 – May 31, 1932 Resigned to become a district court judge Vacant May 31, 1932 – November 8, 1932 Robert L. Davis Republican November 8, 1932 – March 3, 1933 Edward L. Stokes Republican March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 Redistricted from the 2nd district, Retired to run for Governor Michael J. Stack Democratic January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1939 Philadelphia Lost renomination, and lost reelection under a different Party Francis J. Myers Democratic January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1945 Herbert J. McGlinchey Democratic January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 Lost reelection Hugh Scott Republican January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1959 Retired to run for United States Senator Herman Toll Democratic January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963 Redistricted to the 4th district George M. Rhodes Democratic January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1969 Reading Redistricted from the 14th district, Retired Gus Yatron Democratic January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1993 Reading Retired Tim Holden Democratic January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 St. Clair Redistricted to the Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district Jim Gerlach Republican January 3, 2003 – present West Pikeland Township, Chester County Incumbent References
- ^ 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)
- ^ Drobnyk, Josh (2009-07-13). "Gerlach to run for governor, leave Congress". Allentown Morning Call (Tribune Company). http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c4fe353ef01157200a727970b. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/61915-gop-and-dems-search-for-key-to-elections-in-keystone-state
- ^ http://www.politicspa.com/politicspa-reports-in-6th-republican-costello-drops-out/3205/
- ^ http://www.pa2010.com/2010/02/johnson-sellers-fare-well-in-berksco/
- ^ Trivedi Wins 6th District Nod, and Gerlach Takes AimThe Philadelphia Inquirer. 7 June 2010.
- 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's congressional districts All districts: At-large 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
The 20th-36th and At-large districts are obsolete
See also: Pennsylvania's past & present Representatives, Senators, and Delegations, 2010 elections, 2012 elections
All U.S. districts – Apportionment – Redistricting – Gerrymandering – MapsCategories:- Congressional districts of Pennsylvania
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