Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Current Representative		Joe Pitts (R–Kennett Square)
Distribution	76.05% urban, 23.95% rural
Population (2000)	646,328
Median income	$45,943
Ethnicity	87.9% White, 4.3% Black, 1.4% Asian, 9.0% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, 0.3% other
Cook PVI	R+6

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, 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%

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!]
75px 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
75px 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
75px 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!]
75px 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!]
75px John Cessna	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
75px 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!]
75px 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
75px John C. Kunkel	Republican	May 16, 1961 – December 30, 1966	Resigned
Vacant		December 30, 1966 – January 3, 1967
75px Edwin D. Eshleman	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1977	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
75px Robert S. Walker	Republican	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1997	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Joseph R. Pitts	Republican	January 3, 1997 – Present	[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

Historical district boundaries

File:Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.gif

2005 - 2013

See also

• List of United States congressional districts
• Pennsylvania's congressional districts

References

• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

• Congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania