Pennsylvania House
Filing Deadline: Feb. 12, 2008 • Primary Date: April 22, 2008 • General Election: Nov. 4, 2008District Profile: Pennsylvania's 1st District encompasses historic Philadelphia -- including Independence Hall and the U.S. Mint -- and North Philadelphia. It is solidly Democratic. Full Profile
2006 results: Robert Brady (D) was unopposed.
Incumbent
Robert Brady (D)
Elected in May 1998; Seeking sixth full term; Brady was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Mike Muhammad (R)Muhammad, a swimming pool contractor, was nominated with 53% in a two-way primary.
District Profile: In 2004, George W. Bush won just 12 percent of the vote in the 2nd District, his third-worst performance in the country. It includes much of Philadelphia and part of its close suburbs. Full Profile
2006 results: Chaka Fattah (D) defeated Michael Gessner (R) by 89-9%.
Incumbent
Chaka Fattah (D)
Elected in 1994; Seeking eighth term; Fattah was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Mike Livingston (R)Owen, a law professor, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: At the northwest corner of the state, the large 3rd District borders Lake Erie and trends Republican. Full Profile
2006 results: Phil English (R) defeated Steven Porter (D) by 54-42%.
Incumbent
Phil English (R)Elected in 1994; seeking eighth term; English was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Kathy Dahlkemper (D)
Dahlkemper, the Lake Erie Arboretum director, was nominated with 45% in a four-way primary.
District Profile: The 4th District, on Pennsylvania's western border with Ohio, includes Pittsburgh and a swath of its accompanying steel country. It was once Democratic but now leans toward the GOP. Full Profile
2006 results: Jason Altmire (D) defeated incumbent Melissa Hart (R) by 52-48%.
Incumbent
Jason Altmire (D)
Elected in 2006; Seeking second term; Altmire was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Melissa Hart (R)Hart, a former congresswoman, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: This is the state's largest and most rural district, taking up a huge chunk of the northwestern part of the state. It is solidly Republican. Full Profile
2006 results: John Peterson (R) defeated Donald Hilliard (D) by 60-40%.
Republican
Glenn Thompson (R)
Thompson, a nursing home administrator, was nominated with 19% in a nine-way primary.
Democrats
Mark McCracken (D)Owen, a Clearfield County Commissioner, was nominated with 41% in a three-way primary.
District Profile: The narrowly Democratic 6th District is an irregular chunk of southeastern Pennsylvania encompassing the Philadelphia suburbs. Full Profile
2006 results: Jim Gerlach (R) defeated Lois Murphy (D) by 51-49%.
Incumbent
Jim Gerlach (R)Elected in 2002; Seeking fourth term; Gerlach was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Bob Roggio (D)
Roggio, a retired businessman, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: Many residents of the 7th District, which includes most of Delaware County, have deep roots in Philadelphia. Recent decades have seen it swing toward the left. Full Profile
2006 results: Joe Sestak (D) defeated incumbent Curt Weldon (R) by 56-44%.
Incumbent
Joe Sestak (D)
Elected in 2006; seeking second term; Sestak was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Craig Williams (R)Williams, a former assistant U.S. attorney, was nominated with 53% in a two-way primary.
District Profile: The 8th District, on the southeastern border of the state, was once heavily Republican and protectionist, but it's now becoming a more moderate environmentalist haven. Full Profile
2006 results: Patrick Murphy (D) defeated Mike Fitzpatrick (R) by 1,528 votes.
Incumbent
Patrick Murphy (D)
Elected in 2006; Seeking second term; Murphy was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: The Appalachian Mountains run through this swath of land in the southcentral part of the state. In both 2000 and 2004, George W. Bush won his highest percentage in the 9th than in any other Pennsylvania district. Full Profile
2006 results: Bill Shuster (R) defeated Tony Barr (D) by 60-40%.
Incumbent
Bill Shuster (R)
Elected in May 2001; Seeking fourth full term; Shuster was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: The area's most consequential congressman was probably David Wilmot, who was a founder of the Republican Party; most people in this part of Pennsylvania have been Republicans ever since. Full Profile
2006 results: Chris Carney (D) defeated incumbent Don Sherwood (R) by 53-47%.
Incumbent
Christopher Carney (D)
Elected in 2006; Seeking second term; Carney was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Chris Hackett (R)Hackett, a staffing company president, was nominated with 52% in a two-way primary.
District Profile: The 11th District is Pennsylvania's coal country. Miners push much of the region to the left, and the district is solidly Democratic. Full Profile
2006 results: Paul Kanjorski (D) defeated Joseph Leonardi (R) by 72-28%.
Incumbent
Paul Kanjorski (D)
Elected in 1984; Seeking 13th term; Kanjorski was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Lou Barletta (R)Barletta, the Hazleton mayor, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: Although it was carefully carved by Democratic redistricting, the 12th District saw John Kerry squeak by only two points ahead of George W. Bush. Full Profile
2006 results: John Murtha (D) defeated Diana Irey by 61-39%.
Incumbent
John Murtha (D)
Elected in Feb. 1974; Seeking 18th full term; Murtha was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
William Russell (R), businessman
District Profile: Suburban and Northeast Philadelphia makes up much of the 13th District. It trends Democratic. Full Profile
2006 results: Allyson Schwartz (D) defeated Raj Peter Bhakta (R) by 66-34%.
Incumbent
Allyson Schwartz (D)
Elected in 2004; Seeking third term; Schwartz was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Marina Kats (R)Kats, an attorney, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: Pittsburgh is located in the 14th District, which is heavily Democratic. Full Profile
2006 results: Mike Doyle (D) defeated Titus North (Green) by 90-10%.
Incumbent
Mike Doyle (D)
Elected in 1994; Seeking eighth term; Doyle was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Titus North (Green)North, a professor, was unopposed for the Green Party nomination.
District Profile: The 15th District, bordering the Delaware River on the eastern edge of the state, has a reputation as a classic swing area. John Kerry won the district in 2004 by a tiny margin. Full Profile
2006 results: Charlie Dent (R) defeated Charles Dertinger (D) by 54-43%.
Incumbent
Charlie Dent (R)
Elected in 2004; Seeking third term; Dent was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Sam Bennett (D)Bennett, the Allentown Democratic chairwoman, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: Lancaster County makes up most of the 16th District, a Republican stronghold in the southeastern part of the state. Full Profile
2006 results: Joe Pitts (R) defeated Lois Herr (D) by 57-40%.
Incumbent
Joe Pitts (R)
Elected 1996; seeking seventh term; Pitts was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Bruce Slater (D)Slater, a general contractor, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: The 17th District encompasses agricultural and industrial hotbeds in the center of the state, and it leans toward the GOP. Full Profile
2006 results: Tim Holden (D) defeated Matthew Wertz (R) by 65-35%.
Incumbent
Tim Holden (D)
Elected in 1996; Seeking ninth term; Holden was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Toni Gilhooley (R)Gilhooley, a retired police officer, was unopposed in the primary.
District Profile: Covering the suburbs south of Pittsburgh, the 18th District was redesigned by Republican redistricters to maximize the GOP vote. George W. Bush narrowly carried the district in 2000 and 2004. Full Profile
2006 results: Tim Murphy (R) defeated Chad Kluko (D) by 58-42%.
Incumbent
Tim Murphy (R)
Elected in 2002; seeking fourth term; Murphy was unopposed in the primary.
Challengers
Steve O'Donnell (D)O'Donnell, a businessman, was nominated with 45% in a three-way primary.
District Profile: The Mason-Dixon Line forms the southern boundary of the 19th District, which is heavily Republican. Full Profile
2006 results: Todd Platts (R) defeated Philip Avillo by 64-33%.
Incumbent
Todd Platts (R)
Elected in 2000; Seeking fifth term; Platts was unopposed in the primary.
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Race Rankings
Based on likelihood of seat switching party control
1.
N.Y.-13
(Open-R)2.
N.Y.-25
(Open-R)3.
Ariz.-01
(Open-R)4.
Va.-11
(Open-R)5.
Fla.-16
(Mahoney-D)6.
Ill.-11
(Open-R)7.
Ohio-16
(Open-R)8.
Texas-22
(Lampson-D)9.
Alaska-AL
(Young-R)10.
Fla.-24
(Feeney-R)11.
N.J.-03
(Open-R)12.
Colo.-04
(Musgrave-R)13.
Mich.-09
(Knollenberg-R)14.
N.J.-07
(Open-R)15.
Minn.-06
(Bachmann-R)Previous Coverage
Check out National Journal's coverage of previous Pennsylvania house races.
