The 2010 congressional elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 2, 2010. Pennsylvania had nineteen seats in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
. The election was held on the same day as many other PA elections, and the same day as House of Representatives elections in other states. Party primary elections were held May 18, 2010.
Overview
By district
Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania by district:
Congressional districts
District 1
Democratic incumbent
Bob Brady
Robert A. Brady (born April 7, 1945) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 1998 to 2019. He was the ranking Democrat and Chairman of the United States House Committee on House Administration from 2007 to 20 ...
was the only member of the Pennsylvania delegation who ran unopposed in 2010.
Brady, a long time central figure in the
Pennsylvania Democratic Party
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is headquartered in Harrisburg and is the largest political party in the state. Its chair is Senator Sharif Street.
Governor Tom Wo ...
, has never received less than 74% in a general election, and opponents have had difficult recruiting even moderately electable candidates in this majority-minority district that includes
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.Delaware County. No Republican has represented this district since 1949. In 2008, he earned 91% of the vote against Mike Muhammad, a teacher who raised no outside funds. Respected for his ability to reach political deals behind the scenes, Brady has garnered an image as an effective politician, and thus has been rarely challenged by other Democrats. In 2010, Pia Varma, a young freelance writer for conservative publications attempted to gain the Republican nomination, but failed to produce enough signatures to appear on the ballot. PA - District 1 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 2
Democratic incumbent
Chaka Fattah
Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Davenport; November 21, 1956) is an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House for from 1995 to 2016. The district included portions of North Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, and West P ...
ran for reelection. He faced Republican Rick Hellberg, the CEO of a small financial firm. In 2008, Obama carried this district with 90% of the vote.
Fattah represents one of the top five most Democratic districts in the country, and has never received less than 79% of the vote in his over fifteen year House career. The district includes
North Philadelphia
North Philadelphia, nicknamed North Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is immediately north of Center City. Though the full extent of the region is somewhat vague, "North Philadelphia" is regarded as everything north of either ...
and several traditionally liberal suburbs in Montgomery County. Fattah has had the consistent support of the African American community that is the base of a district that hasn't swung Republican since the 1946 elections. Despite this huge Democratic advantage, the district has small pockets of solid Republican territory, and thus Fattah has continuously received GOP opponents (although ones who were unable to raise all more than a few thousand dollars in fundraising), unlike his counterpart in the 1st District. In 2008, Fattah defeated engineer Adam Lang with 81% of the vote.
Fattah won the 2010 general election with 89.3% of the vote. PA - District 2 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 3
Democratic incumbent Kathy Dahlkemper unsuccessfully ran for re-election, losing to Republican businessman Mike Kelly, who received 55.7% of the vote. In 2008, McCain carried this district with 49% of the vote.
Dahlkemper faced a difficult reelection bid, in a race that considered a tossup by most political analysts. Dahlkemper became used to tight campaigns in her short political career. A political unknown prior to her 2008 campaign, Dahlkemper leveraged a moderate, blue collar image that enticed Democratic voters in a district this is generally pro-union, with a center-right tilt on social issues. Dahlkemper, the owner of a large landscaping business and manager of an Erie County arboretum, came from behind to defeat Erie County Concilman Kyle Foust, the endorsed Democratic candidate. She then went on to narrowly unseat (with 52% of the vote) Congressman
Phil English
Philip Sheridan English (born June 20, 1956) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995–2009 from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, representing the state's 3rd Congress ...
, a moderate Republican who had maintained good relations with labor, by attacking his ties to the Bush administration and for failing to follow through on a promise to retire after six terms. During her first term, Dahlkemper has served as a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative Democrats, which has allowed her to keep a middle ground image. However, her vote in favor of healthcare legislation and the lack of an entrenched image in certain corners of the district left her vulnerable.
In 2010, Dahlkemper faced a primary challenge from former foreign affairs official Mel Marin, winning with 73% of the vote. Republicans focused heavily on regaining the seat, and six GOP candidates earned spots on the ballot: automobile dealer Mike Kelly, manufacturing executive Paul Huber, pharmaceutical representative Clayton Grabb, physician Steve Fisher, factory foreman Ed Franz, and accountant Martha Moore. Kelly and Huber far outraised the remaining four challengers, and they became entangled in an expensive campaign. Kelly was eventually victorious, winning 28% of the vote to Huber's 27% in the factious affair.
Kelly, a former member of the Butler City Council, had a base of support in the heavily Republican Butler County, while Dahlkemper was well known in Erie, the center of population for the district. Other small cities in the district, such as Sharon and Meadville were swing regions, with a slightly conservative tilt that balanced out strongly Democratic Erie. John McCain carried the 3rd District by a 49%-48% margin, which reflects the political balance of the area. PA - District 3 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Polling
District 4
Democratic incumbent
Jason Altmire
Jason Altmire (born March 7, 1968) is an American businessman, author, lobbyist and politician. He is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 until 2013. He is a fellow of the European Institute for International Law and Internati ...
ran for re-election and faced Republican attorney Keith Rothfus. In 2008, McCain carried this district with 55% of the vote.
Altmire narrowly won re-elected with 50.8% of the vote. PA - District 4 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 5
Republican incumbent Glenn "G.T." Thompson successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Democrat Michael Pipe and Libertarian Vernon Etzel. In 2008, McCain carried this district with 55% of the vote. PA - District 5 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 6
Republican incumbent
Jim Gerlach
James W. Gerlach (born February 25, 1955) is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party. Gerlach retired from Congress after completing his sixth term.
Early life, education and caree ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Democrat
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, partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror
, image ...
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 7
Democratic incumbent
Joe Sestak
Joseph Ambrose Sestak Jr. (born December 12, 1951) is an American politician and retired U.S. Navy officer. He represented in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 and was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in ...
retired to run for the U.S. Senate. Democratic nominee State Representative
Bryan Lentz
Bryan Roy Lentz (born June 5, 1964) is an American politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 161st legislative district from 2007 to 2010. He was the 2010 Democratic n ...
faced Republican nominee U.S. Attorney
Pat Meehan
Patrick Leo Meehan (born October 20, 1955) is a former American Republican Party politician and federal prosecutor from Pennsylvania who represented parts of Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and Lancaster counties in the United States Hou ...
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 8
Democratic incumbent Patrick Murphy unsuccessfully ran for re-election. He was defeated by Republican former U.S. Congressman
Mike Fitzpatrick
Michael Gerard Fitzpatrick (June 28, 1963 – January 6, 2020) was an American attorney and politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 2005 to 2007 and 2011 to 2017. He was fir ...
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Polling
District 9
Republican incumbent
Bill Shuster
William Franklin Shuster (; born January 10, 1961) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for from 2001 to 2019. He is a member of the Republican Party, and is a son of former Congressman Bud Shuster.
In J ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Democrat Tom Conners and Independent Chad Clopper. PA - District 9 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 10
Democratic incumbent
Chris Carney
Christopher P. Carney (born March 2, 1959) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Carney is also an associate professor of political science at Penn State Worth ...
unsuccessfully ran for re-election, losing to Republican nominee U.S. Attorney
Tom Marino
Thomas Anthony Marino (born August 13, 1952) is an American politician and attorney, who served as a United States Representative from Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2019. He represented the from January 3, 2011 to January 3, 2019, and the from Janu ...
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 11
Democratic incumbent Paul E. Kanjorski unsuccessfully ran for re-election, losing to Republican
Hazleton Hazleton may refer to:
Places
* Hazleton, British Columbia, Canada
* Hazleton, Gloucestershire, a village in Gloucestershire, England
** Hazleton long barrows, Neolithic burial mounds at Hazleton, Gloucestershire, England
** Hazleton Abbey, a medi ...
Mayor
Lou Barletta
Louis John Barletta (born January 28, 1956) is an American businessman and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, from 2000 to 2010. ...
.Kanjorski wins easily; eyes Barletta rematch , The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Timesleader.com. Retrieved on 2010-07-12. In 2008, Obama carried this district with 57% of the vote.
Kanjorski faced
Corey O'Brien
Corey Daniel O’Brien (born September 11, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners from 2008 to 2015. In 2010, he challenged incumbent Congressman Paul Kanjorski in the May 2010 ...
and Brian Kelly in the May 2010 Democratic primary, and won with 49.3% of the primary vote. PA - District 11 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 12
Special election
General election
Democrat Mark Critz won a May 2010 special election to replace
John Murtha
John Patrick Murtha Jr. (; June 17, 1932 – February 8, 2010) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Represent ...
, who served the district for 36 years. He faced Republican businessman Tim Burns. Critz again defeated Burns in the regularly scheduled November general election. In 2008, McCain carried this district with 49% of the vote. PA - District 12 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Democratic incumbent Allyson Schwartz successfully ran for re-election. She defeated Republican Dee Adcock. Obama carried this district with 59% of the vote. PA - District 13 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 14
Democratic incumbent
Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to:
Politics
* Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927
*Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires
*Mike Doyle (American politician) (born ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Republican Melissa Haluszczak and Green Party nominee Ed Bortz. In 2008, Doyle received 91% of the vote and Obama carried this district with 70% of the vote. PA - District 14 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 15
Republican incumbent
Charlie Dent
Charles Wieder Dent (born May 24, 1960) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for from 2005 to 2018.
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Dent worked in a variety of occupations ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Democrat Bethlehem Mayor
John B. Callahan
John B. Callahan (born September 20, 1969) was the 10th Mayor of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He was the United States Democratic Party, Democratic nominee in an unsuccessful 2010 bid for United States Representative for Pennsylvania's 15th congressio ...
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Polling
District 16
Republican incumbent Joe Pitts successfully ran for re-election. He again defeated Democratic nominee Lois Herr. In 2008, McCain carried the district with 51% of the vote. PA - District 16 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 17
Democratic incumbent
Tim Holden
Thomas Timothy Holden (born March 5, 1957) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2013. Holden was the dean of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation durin ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Republican State Senator
Dave Argall
David G. Argall, Ph.D. (born November 21, 1958) is a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, elected in a special election on March 3, 2009 following the death of fellow Republican James J. Rhoades. He was elected a member of the Pennsylvania ...
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 18
Republican incumbent
Tim Murphy Timothy Murphy may refer to:
Politics
* Tim Murphy (American politician) (born 1952), American Republican Party politician from Pennsylvania
* Tim Murphy (Canadian politician) (born 1959), Canadian politician
* Timothy J. Murphy (1893–1949), I ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Democrat Dan Connolly. In 2008, McCain carried this district with 55% of the vote. PA - District 18 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
District 19
Republican incumbent
Todd Platts
Todd Russell Platts (born March 5, 1962) is an American attorney and Republican Party politician who serves as a Judge on the York County Court of Common Pleas and is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 to 2013.
The district, ...
successfully ran for re-election. He defeated Democrat Ryan Sanders and Independence Party nominee Joshua Monighan. In 2008, McCain carried this district with 56% of the vote. PA - District 19 from OurCampaigns.com Race ranking and details from
CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is part of a privately owned publishing company called CQ Roll Call that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress. CQ was acquired by the Economist Group and combine ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Project Vote Smart
Vote Smart, formerly called Project Vote Smart, is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States. It covers candidates and elected officials in s ...
OpenSecrets
OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
Cook Political Report
''The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter'' is an American online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the U.S. Presidency, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and U.S. governors' offices. Sel ...
''
{{DEFAULTSORT:United States House Of Representatives Elections In Pennsylvania, 2010
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...