Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district

Boundaries since January 2019

Representative

Brendan Boyle
D–Philadelphia

Distribution

100.00% urban
0.00% rural

Population (2000)

722,350

Median income

30,646

Ethnicity

52.6% white
26.3% Hispanic
25.4% black
8.1% Asian
0.5% Native American
0.3% other

Cook PVI

D+25^[1]

Pennsylvania's second congressional district includes all of Northeast Philadelphia and parts of North Philadelphia east of Broad Street, as well as portions of Philadelphia's River Wards. It has been represented by Democrat Brendan Boyle since 2019.

The district is demographically diverse, with 52% of residents identifying as white, 25% of residents identifying as black and 26% of residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino (of any race).^[2]

Prior to 2018, the district covered West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Northwest Philadelphia, as well as parts of South Philadelphia, Center City, and western suburbs such as Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County. Before the 113th Congress, the district did not contain Lower Merion Township but instead contained Cheltenham Township.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering. The new second district is essentially the successor to the previous first district. As such, it remained heavily Democratic for the 2018 election and representation thereafter. Brendan Boyle, the incumbent from the previous 13th district, ran for re-election in the new 2nd district.^[3] Parts of the previous second district were shifted to the third.^[4]

Congressman Chaka Fattah represented the district from 1995 to 2016. On July 29, 2015, Fattah and a group of associates were indicted on federal charges related to their alleged roles in a racketeering and influence peddling conspiracy.^[5]^[6] On April 26, 2016, Dwight Evans toppled Fattah in a competitive Democratic primary election.^[7] Fattah resigned June 23, 2016.^[8] Evans then won a special election to fill Fattah's seat. He also won election for the regular term beginning January 3, 2017. Evans won re-election in the new 3rd congressional district.

List of members representing the district

The district was organized from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district in 1791.

1791–1793: One seat

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Frederick Muhlenberg	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	2nd	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1791. Redistricted to the at-large district.

1795–1843: multiple seats

District created in 1795 from the at-large district.

Two additional seats were added in 1803. The third seat was eliminated in 1813, and the second seat eliminated in 1823. In 1833, the second seat was restored. In 1843, it returned to being a single-member district.

Cong ress	Years	Representative	Party	Electoral history	Representative	Party	Electoral history	Representative	Party	Electoral history
Cong ress	Years	Seat A			Seat B			Seat C
4th	March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1797	Frederick Muhlenberg	Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1794. Retired.	No second seat			No third seat
5th	March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1799	Blair McClenachan	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1796. Retired.
6th	March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1801	Michael Leib	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 1st district.
7th	March 4, 1801 – March 3, 1803	Michael Leib	Democratic-Republican
8th	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805	Robert Brown	Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Redistricted to the 6th district.	Frederick Conrad	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Lost re-election.	Isaac Van Horne	Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1802. Retired.
9th	March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1807				Frederick Conrad	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Lost re-election.	John Pugh	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Lost re-election.
10th	March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1809				William Milnor	Federalist	Elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Lost re-election.	John Pugh	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Lost re-election.
11th	March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1811				William Milnor	Federalist	Elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Lost re-election.	John Ross	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1808. Retired.
12th	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813				Jonathan Roberts	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1812. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.	William Rodman	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1810. Lost re-election as a Federalist.
13th	March 4, 1813 – February 24, 1814	Roger Davis	Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 3rd district, and re-elected in 1812. Retired.	Jonathan Roberts	Democratic-Republican		No third seat
	February 24, 1814 – October 11, 1814				Vacant
	October 11, 1814 – March 3, 1815				Samuel Henderson	Federalist	Elected October 11, 1814 to finish Roberts's term and seated November 27, 1814. Lost election the same day to the next term.
14th	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817	William Darlington	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1814. Lost re-election.	John Hahn	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1814. Lost re-election.
15th	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819	Isaac Darlington	Federalist	Elected in 1816. Retired.	Levi Pawling	Federalist	Elected in 1816. Lost re-election.
16th	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821	William Darlington	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1820. Lost re-election.	Samuel Gross	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1820. Retired.
17th	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823	William Darlington	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1820. Lost re-election.	Samuel Gross	Democratic-Republican	Elected in 1818. Re-elected in 1820. Retired.
18th	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	Joseph Hemphill	Jacksonian Federalist	Redistricted from the 1st district, and re-elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Resigned.	No second seat
19th	March 4, 1825 – 1826	Joseph Hemphill	Jacksonian
	1826 – October 26, 1826	Vacant
	October 26, 1826 – March 3, 1827	Thomas Kittera	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected to finish Hemphill's term in 1826. Lost re-election.
20th	March 4, 1827 – January 14, 1828	General election ended in a tie vote and the seat remained vacant.
20th	January 14, 1828 – March 3, 1829	John Sergeant	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected October 9, 1827 to finish the vacant term and seated January 14, 1828. Lost re-election.
21st	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831	Joseph Hemphill	Jacksonian	Elected in 1828. Retired.
22nd	March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833	Henry Horn	Jacksonian	Elected in 1830. Lost re-election.
23rd	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835	Horace Binney	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1832. Retired.	James Harper	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1832. Re-elected in 1834. Retired.
24th	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837	Joseph R. Ingersoll	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1834. Retired.	James Harper	Anti-Jacksonian	Elected in 1832. Re-elected in 1834. Retired.
25th	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839	John Sergeant	Whig	Elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Resigned.	George W. Toland	Whig	Elected in 1836. Re-elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. [data unknown/missing]
26th	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841
27th	March 3, 1841 – September 15, 1841
	September 15, 1841 – October 12, 1841	Vacant
	October 12, 1841 – March 3, 1843	Joseph R. Ingersoll	Whig	Elected in 1841 to finish Sergeant's term.

1843–present: One seat

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Joseph R. Ingersoll	Whig	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849	28th 29th 30th	Declined to accept renomination.
Joseph R. Chandler	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1855	31st 32nd 33rd	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Job R. Tyson	Whig	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857	34th	[data unknown/missing]
Edward J. Morris	Republican	March 4, 1857 – June 8, 1861	35th 36th 37th	[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become U.S. Minister to the Ottoman Empire.
Vacant		June 8, 1861 – July 2, 1861
Charles J. Biddle	Democratic	July 2, 1861 – March 3, 1863	37th	Elected to finish Morris's term. [data unknown/missing]
Charles O'Neill	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1871	38th 39th 40th 41st	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
John V. Creely	Republican	March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873	42nd	Disappeared on his way to the December 1871 Congressional session.
Charles O'Neill	Republican	March 4, 1873 – November 25, 1893	43rd 44th 45th 46th 47th 48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd	[data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		November 25, 1893 – December 19, 1893
Robert Adams Jr.	Republican	December 19, 1893 – June 1, 1906	53rd 54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th	Elected to finish O'Neill's term. Died.
Vacant		June 1, 1906 – November 6, 1906
John E. Reyburn	Republican	November 6, 1906 – March 31, 1907	59th 60th	Elected to finish Adams's term. Resigned to become Mayor of Philadelphia.
Vacant		March 31, 1907 – November 5, 1907
Joel Cook	Republican	November 5, 1907 – December 15, 1910	60th 61st	Elected to finish Reyburn's term. Died.
Vacant		December 15, 1910 – May 23, 1911
William S. Reyburn	Republican	May 23, 1911 – March 3, 1913	62nd	Elected to finish Cook's term. Retired.
George S. Graham	Republican	March 4, 1913 – July 4, 1931	63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd	[data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		July 4, 1931 – November 3, 1931
Edward L. Stokes	Republican	November 3, 1931 – March 3, 1933	72nd	Elected to finish Graham's term. Redistricted to the 6th district.
James M. Beck	Republican	March 3, 1933 – September 30, 1934	73rd	Redistricted from the 1st district. Resigned to object to the New Deal.
Vacant		September 30, 1934 – January 3, 1935
William H. Wilson	Republican	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1937	74th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
James P. McGranery	Democratic	January 3, 1937 – November 17, 1943	75th 76th 77th 78th	[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become United States Assistant Attorney General.
Vacant		November 17, 1943 – January 18, 1944
Joseph M. Pratt	Republican	January 18, 1944 – January 3, 1945	78th	Elected to finish McGranery's term. Redistricted to the 3rd district and lost re-election.
William T. Granahan	Democratic	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947	79th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
Robert N. McGarvey	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	80th	[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election.
William T. Granahan	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – May 25, 1956	81st 82nd 83rd 84th	[data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		May 25, 1956 – November 6, 1956
Kathryn E. Granahan	Democratic	November 6, 1956 – January 3, 1963	84th 85th 86th 87th	Elected to finish her husband's term. [data unknown/missing]
Robert N. C. Nix Sr.	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1979	88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th	Redistricted from the 4th district. [data unknown/missing]
William H. Gray III	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – September 11, 1991	96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become President of the United Negro College Fund.
Vacant		September 11, 1991 – November 5, 1991
Lucien Blackwell	Democratic	November 5, 1991 – January 3, 1995	102nd 103rd	Elected to finish Gray's term. Lost renomination.
Chaka Fattah	Democratic	January 3, 1995 – June 23, 2016	104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th	[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination and Resigned.
Vacant		June 23, 2016 – November 8, 2016
Dwight Evans	Democratic	November 8, 2016 – January 3, 2019	114th 115th	Elected to finish Fattah's term. Redistricted to the 3rd district.
Brendan Boyle	Democratic	January 3, 2019 – Present	116th	Redistricted from the 13th district and elected in 2018.

Historical district boundaries

2003–2013
2013–2019

References

^ "New Pennsylvania Map Is a Major Boost for Democrats". The Cook Political Report. February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
^ https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd116/cd_based/ST42/CD116_PA02.pdf
^ Kopp, John (February 22, 2018). "Brendan Boyle to seek re-election in redrawn Philly congressional district". Philly Voice. Philadelphia, PA. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
^ Cohn, Nate; Bloch, Matthew; Quealy, Kevin (February 19, 2018). "The New Pennsylvania House Districts Are In. We Review the Mapmakers' Choices". The Upshot. The New York Times. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
^ "Congressman Chaka Fattah and Associates Charged with Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy" (Press release). Federal Bureau of Investigation. July 29, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
^ "Chaka Fattah indictment, full text - CNNPolitics.com". CNN. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
^ Orso, Anna (April 26, 2016). "Pennsylvania primary: Dwight Evans topples longtime Congressman Chaka Fattah". Billy Penn. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
^ "Rep. Chaka Fattah resigns after conviction, effective immediately" (Press release). CBS. June 23, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.

Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present