Redistricting Process: In Pennsylvania, redistricting legislative districts is the duty of a Legislative Reapportionment Commission. As laid out in Article II, Section 17 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission must draw up a restricting plan for the General Assembly within 90 days of its formation. The Legislative Reapportionment Commission consists of five members. The four legislative members of the commission are the House and Senate majority and minority leaders or their designates. These four members have 45 days to select the fifth member (and chairperson) of the commission, who cannot be a legislator. If the four other members cannot select a fifth member by the established deadline, the state supreme court appoints the fifth commission member. Once the commission is established, it has 90 days to draw new district lines. Once the plan is completed, it can be challenged for up to 30 days. If any challenges are sustained by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the commission must edit its maps to incorporate the changes. Once the plan is finalized, it immediately takes the force of law.
Pennsylvania Congressional redistricting is done by the legislature through the normal bill process, and subject to a signature or veto by the governor.
Governor: Republican Tom Corbett
Legislature: Republicans control both chambers.
Number of Congressional Seats in 2011: 18 (-1 since 2010)
2011 Ideal District Population: 705,688
Current District by District Politics and Demographics
1st District- Democrat Robert Brady
2010 Congressional Results: Brady (Unopposed)
2008 Congressional Results: Brady 91%
2006 Congressional Results: Brady (Unopposed)
2004 Congressional Results: Brady 86%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 12% Obama 88%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 15% Kerry 84%
District Population: 655,146
Over/Under Populated by: 50,542
White Population: 168,326
African American Population: 303,872
Hispanic Population: 126,174
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 1st District.*
2nd District- Democrat Chaka Fattah
2010 Congressional Results: Fattah 89%
2008 Congressional Results: Fattah 89%
2006 Congressional Results: Fattah 89%
2004 Congressional Results: Fattah 88%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 10% Obama 90%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 12% Kerry 87%
District Population: 630,277
Over/Under Populated by: 75,411
White Population: 191,509
African American Population: 355,849
Hispanic Population: 30,209
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 2nd District.*
3rd District- Republican Mike Kelly
2010 Congressional Results: Kelly 55%
2008 Congressional Results: Kathy Dahlkemper (D) 51%
2006 Congressional Results: Phil English (R) 54%
2004 Congressional Results: English 60%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 49% Obama 49%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 53% Kerry 47%
District Population: 640,356
Over/Under Populated by: 65,332
White Population: 586,647
African American Population: 26,179
Hispanic Population: 12,805
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 3rd District.*
4th District- Democrat Jason Altmire
2010 Congressional Results: Altmire 50.8%
2008 Congressional Results: Altmire 56%
2006 Congressional Results: Altmire 52%
2004 Congressional Results: Melissa Hart (R) 63%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 55% Obama 44%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 54% Kerry 45%
District Population: 647,418
Over/Under Populated by: 58,270
White Population: 597,537
African American Population: 22,509
Hispanic Population: 7,386
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 4th District.*
5th District- Republican Glen Thompson
2010 Congressional Results: Thompson 69%
2008 Congressional Results: Thompson 57%
2006 Congressional Results: John Peterson (R) 60%
2004 Congressional Results: Peterson 88%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 55% Obama 44%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 61% Kerry 39%
District Population: 651,762
Over/Under Populated by: 53,926
White Population: 612,524
African American Population: 11,966
Hispanic Population: 10,013
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 5th District.*
6th District- Republican Jim Gerlach
2010 Congressional Results: Gerlach 57%
2008 Congressional Results: Gerlach 52%
2006 Congressional Results: Gerlach 51%
2004 Congressional Results: Gerlach 51%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 41% Obama 58%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 48% Kerry 51%
District Population: 726,465
Over/Under Populated by: 20,777
White Population: 575,168
African American Population: 53,835
Hispanic Population: 56,914
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 6th District.*
7th District- Republican Patrick Meehan
2010 Congressional Results: Meehan 55%
2008 Congressional Results: Joe Sestak (D) 60%
2006 Congressional Results: Sestak 56%
2004 Congressional Results: Curt Weldon (R) 59%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 43% Obama 56%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 47% Kerry 53%
District Population: 673,623
Over/Under Populated by: 32,065
White Population: 539,822
African American Population: 65,229
Hispanic Population: 18,503
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 7th District.*
8th District- Republican Michael Fitzpatrick
2010 Congressional Results: Fitzpatrick 54%
2008 Congressional Results: Patrick Murphy (D) 57%
2006 Congressional Results: Murphy 50.3%
2004 Congressional Results: Fitzpatrick 55%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 45% Obama 54%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 48% Kerry 51%
District Population: 672,685
Over/Under Populated by: 33,003
White Population: 581,713
African American Population: 24,919
Hispanic Population: 28,907
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 8th District.*
9th District- Republican Bill Shuster
2010 Congressional Results: Shuster 73%
2008 Congressional Results: Shuster 64%
2006 Congressional Results: Shuster 60%
2004 Congressional Results: Shuster 69%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 63% Obama 35%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 67% Kerry 33%
District Population: 666,810
Over/Under Populated by: 38,878
White Population: 629,212
African American Population: 13,725
Hispanic Population: 12,419
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 9th District.*
10th District- Republican Thomas Marino
2010 Congressional Results: Marino 55%
2008 Congressional Results: Christopher Carney (D) 56%
2006 Congressional Results: Carney 53%
2004 Congressional Results: Don Sherwood (R) 93%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 54% Obama 45%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 60% Kerry 40%
District Population: 669,257
Over/Under Populated by: 36,431
White Population: 621,800
African American Population: 16,361
Hispanic Population: 17,972
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 10th District.*
11th District- Republican Lou Barletta
2010 Congressional Results: Barletta 55%
2008 Congressional Results: Kanjorski (D) 52%
2006 Congressional Results: Kanjorski 72%
2004 Congressional Results: Kanjorski 94%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 42% Obama 57%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 47% Kerry 53%
District Population: 687,860
Over/Under Populated by: 17,828
White Population: 576,447
African American Population: 35,630
Hispanic Population: 55,483
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 11th District.*
12th District- Democrat Mark Critz
2010 Congressional Results: Critz 50.8%
2008 Congressional Results: John Murtha (D) 58%
2006 Congressional Results: Murtha (D) 61%
2004 Congressional Results: Murtha (D) (Unopposed)
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 49% Obama 49%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 49% Kerry 51%
District Population: 612,384
Over/Under Populated by: 93,304
White Population: 570,358
African American Population: 23,753
Hispanic Population: 6,436
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 12th District.*
13th District- Democrat Allyson Schwartz
2010 Congressional Results: Schwartz 56%
2008 Congressional Results: Schwartz 63%
2006 Congressional Results: Schwartz 66%
2004 Congressional Results: Schwartz 56%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 41% Obama 59%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 43% Kerry 56%
District Population: 674,188
Over/Under Populated by: 31,500
White Population: 504,433
African American Population: 65,941
Hispanic Population: 45,090
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 13th District.*
14th District- Democrat Mike Doyle2010 Congressional Results: Doyle 69%
2008 Congressional Results: Doyle 91%
2006 Congressional Results: Doyle 90%
2004 Congressional Results: Doyle (Unopposed)
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 29% Obama 70%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 30% Kerry 69%
District Population: 584,493
Over/Under Populated by: 121,195
White Population: 400,139
African American Population: 141,740
Hispanic Population: 11,193
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 14th District.*
15th District- Republican Charles Dent2010 Congressional Results: Dent 54%
2008 Congressional Results: Dent 59%
2006 Congressional Results: Dent 54%
2004 Congressional Results: Dent 59%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 43% Obama 56%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 50% Kerry 50%
District Population: 721,828
Over/Under Populated by: 16,140
White Population: 558,136
African American Population: 33,088
Hispanic Population: 99,243
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 15th District.*
16th District- Republican Joseph Pitts
2010 Congressional Results: Pitts 65%
2008 Congressional Results: Pitts 56%
2006 Congressional Results: Pitts 57%
2004 Congressional Results: Pitts 64%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 51% Obama 48%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 61% Kerry 38%
District Population: 723,977
Over/Under Populated by: 18,289
White Population: 574,640
African American Population: 29,420
Hispanic Population: 96,151
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 16th District.*
17th District- Democrat Tim Holden
2010 Congressional Results: Holden 56%
2008 Congressional Results: Holden 64%
2006 Congressional Results: Holden 65%
2004 Congressional Results: Holden 59%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 51% Obama 48%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 58% Kerry 42%
District Population: 681,835
Over/Under Populated by: 23,853
White Population: 563,461
African American Population: 54,261
Hispanic Population: 41,128
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 17th District.*
18th District- Republican Tim Murphy
2010 Congressional Results: Murphy 67%
2008 Congressional Results: Murphy 64%
2006 Congressional Results: Murphy 58%
2004 Congressional Results: Murphy 63%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 55% Obama 44%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 54% Kerry 46%
District Population: 653,385
Over/Under Populated by: 52,303
White Population: 606,632
African American Population: 18,253
Hispanic Population: 7,329
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 18th District.*
19th District- Republican Todd Platts2010 Congressional Results: Platts 72%
2008 Congressional Results: Platts 67%
2006 Congressional Results: Platts 64%
2004 Congressional Results: Platts 91%
2008 Presidential Results: McCain 56% Obama 43%
2004 Presidential Results: Bush 64% Kerry 36%
District Population: 728,630
Over/Under Populated by: 22,942
White Population: 636,148
African American Population: 30,561
Hispanic Population: 36,305
See more demographic information from the 2010 Census for the 19th District.*
*In some browsers, the link to the 2010 Census page may link to a table of demographics for several states as opposed to the districts for the specific state. If this occurs, click the “Back to Search” link at the top of the page and then click on the arrow next to “Geographies” in the left column. Select “All Congressional Districts within Pennsylvania” and then close the box. Click on the link for “Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age and Housing Occupancy: 2010” and the correct table should appear.
Redistricting Process taken from Rose Institute study “Redistricting in America.”