Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district | ||
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Current Representative | Pat Meehan (R–Drexel Hill) | |
Distribution | 98.56% urban, 1.44% rural | |
Population (2000) | 646,522 | |
Median income | $56,126 | |
Ethnicity | 89.2% White, 5.5% Black, 3.7% Asian, 1.3% Hispanic, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% other | |
Cook PVI | D+3 |
Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district incorporates parts of the Philadelphia suburbs, including most of Delaware County. It is currently represented by Republican Pat Meehan in the 112th United States Congress.
Ben Affleck's character in the movie State of Play is Congressman Stephen Collins, who represents the district.
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The district is located in Southeast Pennsylvania. It contains the western and northwestern suburbs of Philadelphia. It consists of the majority of Delaware County (except for the City of Chester and some of the eastern boroughs), a portion of Chester County east of West Chester, and a portion of southern Montgomery County in the affluent Main Line area.
The district encompasses an area of diverse wealth, ranging from blue collar and working class households in the southeastern portions of Delaware County (mostly around in the oil refinery areas of Marcus Hook and Trainer) to the southern and western portions of the affluent Main Line area of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties. The district is the home of several major colleges and universities, including Widener University; Swarthmore College; Haverford College; Villanova University; Bryn Mawr College; Penn State Brandywine; Delaware County Community College; and Cheyney University, the first traditionally black college in the U.S. The district is also the home of Boeing's helicopter facility in Ridley Park. Chester, the largest city in Delaware County, is not represented by the district (it is under the 1st Congressional District, which also includes South Philadelphia), but receives attention from the district due to Chester's influence to the rest of the county.
District created in 1791 from the at-large district
Representative | Party | Years | District home | Note |
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Thomas Hartley | Pro-Administration | March 4, 1791 - March 3, 1793 | Redistricted from the At-large district; Redistricted to the At-large district |
District redistricted in 1793 to the at-large district
District created in 1795 from the at-large district
Representative | Party | Years | District home | Note |
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John W. Kittera | Federalist | March 4, 1795 - March 3, 1801 | Redistricted from the At-large district | |
Thomas Boude | Federalist | March 4, 1801 - March 3, 1803 | ||
John Rea | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1811 | ||
William Piper | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1811 - March 3, 1813 | Redistricted to the 8th district | |
John M. Hyneman | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1813 - August 2, 1813 | Redistricted from the 3rd district; Resigned |
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Vacant | August 2, 1813 – October 12, 1813 | |||
Daniel Udree | Democratic-Republican | October 12, 1813 – March 3, 1815 | Lost re-election | |
Joseph Hiester | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1815 – December ????, 1820 | Resigned to become Governor of Pennsylvania | |
Vacant | December ????, 1820 – December 26, 1820 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!] |
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Daniel Udree | Democratic-Republican | December 26, 1820 – March 3, 1821 | ||
Ludwig Worman | Federalist | March 4, 1821 – October 17, 1822 | Earl Township | Died |
Vacant | October 17, 1822 – December 10, 1822 | |||
Daniel Udree | Democratic-Republican | December 10, 1822 – March 3, 1823 |
Representative | Party | Years | Congress | Note |
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Henry Wilson | Jackson Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | 18th | Died |
Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – August 24, 1826 | 19th | ||
Vacant | August 24, 1826 – December 4, 1826 | |||
Jacob Krebs | Jacksonian | December 4, 1826 – March 3, 1827 | ||
Joseph Fry, Jr. | Jacksonian | March 4, 1827 – March 3, 1831 | 20th 21st |
Retired |
Henry King | Jacksonian | March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 | 22nd | Redistricted to the 8th district |
Representative | Party | Years | Congress | Note |
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Daniel Udree | Jackson Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 | 18th | |
William Addams | Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829 | 19th 20th |
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Henry A. P. Muhlenberg | Jacksonian | March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1833 | 21st 22nd |
Redistricted to the 9th district |
Representative | Party | Years | District home | Note |
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David D. Wagener | Jacksonian | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 | Easton | |
Democratic | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841 | |||
John Westbrook | Democratic | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 | Dingmans Ferry | Retired |
Abraham R. McIlvaine | Whig | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849 | Downingtown | Lost renomination |
Jesse C. Dickey | Whig | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 | New London | Lost re-election |
John A. Morrison | Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 | Cochranville | |
Samuel A. Bridges | Democratic | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Allentown | Lost re-election |
Samuel C. Bradshaw | Opposition | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | Quakertown | Lost re-election |
Henry Chapman | Democratic | March 4, 1857 –March 3, 1859 | Doylestown | Retired |
Henry C. Longnecker | Republican | March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | Allentown | |
Thomas B. Cooper | Democratic | March 4, 1861 – April 4, 1862 | Coopersburg | Died |
Vacant | April 4, 1862 – June 3, 1862 | |||
John D. Stiles | Democratic | June 3, 1862 – March 3, 1863 | Allentown | Redistricted to the 6th district |
John M. Broomall | Republican | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869 | Media | Retired |
Washington Townsend | Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 | West Chester | Redistricted to the 6th district |
Alan Wood, Jr. | Republican | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 | Philadelphia | Retired |
Isaac N. Evans | Republican | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879 | Doylestown | Retired |
William Godshalk | Republican | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1883 | Hatboro | Retired |
Isaac N. Evans | Republican | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887 | Hatboro | Retired |
Robert M. Yardley | Republican | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891 | Doylestown | Retired |
Edwin Hallowell | Democratic | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | Lost re-election | |
Irving P. Wanger | Republican | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903 | Redistricted to the 8th district | |
Thomas S. Butler | Republican | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1923 | Uwchlan Township | Redistricted from the 6th district; Redistricted to the 8th district |
George P. Darrow | Republican | March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1937 | Philadelphia | Redistricted from the 6th district; Lost re-election |
Ira W. Drew | Democratic | January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939 | Philadelphia | Lost re-election |
George P. Darrow | Republican | January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941 | Philadelphia | Retired |
Hugh Scott | Republican | January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1945 | Philadelphia | Lost re-election |
James Wolfenden | Republican | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | Upper Darby Township | Redistricted from the 8th district; Retired |
E. Wallace Chadwick | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | Radnor Township | Lost renomination |
Benjamin F. James | Republican | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1959 | Radnor Township | Retired |
William H. Milliken, Jr. | Republican | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1965 | Sharon Hill | Retired |
G. Robert Watkins | Republican | January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967 | West Chester | Redistricted to the 9th district |
Lawrence G. Williams | Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975 | Springfield, Delaware County | Lost re-election |
Robert W. Edgar | Democratic | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987 | Springfield, Delaware County | Did not seek re-election; ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate against Arlen Specter |
Curt Weldon | Republican | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2007 | Marcus Hook | Lost re-election |
Joe Sestak | Democratic | January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | Edgmont Township | Did not seek re-election in 2010; ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate instead. |
Pat Meehan | Republican | January 3, 2011 - present | Drexel Hill | Incumbent |
In 2009, incumbent Representative Joe Sestak decided to retire from the seat to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D) in a primary election. State Representative Bryan Lentz of the 161st State Legislative District decided to run for the open seat, and was endorsed by the Delaware County Democratic Committee. Pat Meehan, the former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and former Delaware County, Pennsylvania District Attorney, D.A. was the Republican running for the seat. Jim Schneller, an independent candidate with the party label "American Congress Party" was also a ballot qualified candidate. Pat Meehan ended up winning the general election on Nov 2, 2010 by a 55% to 44% margin over Lentz.
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