Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district is a district in the state of Pennsylvania. It includes almost all of Chester County and the southeastern portion of Berks County including the city of Reading and its southeastern suburbs. The district is represented by Democrat Chrissy Houlahan, who has served in Congress since 2019. As currently drawn, the district is among the wealthiest in Pennsylvania. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional.
Jim Gerlach served as the district's Representative from 2003 to 2014. In 2004 and 2006, Gerlach won re-election against fellow attorney and now Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Lois Murphy. In 2008, he successfully ran for re-election against businessman and veteran Bob Roggio. In the 2010 and 2012 elections, Gerlach defeated physician and Iraq War veteran Manan Trivedi, the Democratic nominee.
In January 2014, Gerlach announced that he would not stand for reelection to the 114th Congress. In the race to succeed Gerlach, Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello won the Republican nomination and physician and Iraq war veteran Manan Trivedi secured the Democratic party's nomination.
In February 2018, following the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania's ordered redrawing of congressional districts, Costello announced he would not stand for reelection and retire at the end of the 115th Congress, leaving businessman Greg McCauley as the sole Republican candidate while the Democrats nominated Air Force veteran Chrissy Houlahan. Houlahan defeated McCauley in the general election.
Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 55–43% Attorney GeneralCorbett 55–45% Auditor GeneralWagner 54–46%2010 SenateToomey 53–47% GovernorCorbett 56–44%2012 PresidentObama 52–48% SenateCasey Jr. 53–47%2014 GovernorWolf 52–48%2016 PresidentClinton 52–44% SenateToomey 48.5–48.0% Attorney GeneralShapiro 51–49% Auditor GeneralBrown 48–46% TreasurerTorsella 49–45%2018 SenateCasey Jr. 59–39% GovernorWolf 61–37%2020 PresidentBiden 57–42% Attorney GeneralShapiro 54–43% Auditor GeneralAhmad 50–46% TreasurerTorsella 52–45%2022 SenateFetterman 56–41% GovernorShapiro 61–37%2024 PresidentHarris 55–44% SenateCasey Jr. 54–43% TreasurerMcClelland 51–47%
Historic geography 2003 to 2012 Prior to the court-ordered redistricting, the 6th district's incarnation dated back to 2002. Its strange shape brought charges of gerrymandering by Democrats who argued it "looms like a dragon descending on Philadelphia from the west, splitting up towns and communities throughout Montgomery and Berks Counties."VIETH et al. v. JUBELIRER, PRESIDENT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA SENATE, et al., 541 U.S. 267 (United States Supreme Court 2004) (see http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=000&invol=02-1580) (plurality opinion of Court holding political gerrymandering claims in the District nonjusticiable based on the lack of workable standards) The combination of very affluent suburban areas of Philadelphia and sparsely populated rural areas was possibly designed to capture Republican voters, but changes in voting patterns in southeastern Pennsylvania has made the district much more competitive. The district had a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+1 after the 2012 redistricting. It was rated D+4 before then. The district included parts of Montgomery County, Chester County, Berks County and Lehigh County. The largest cities in the district were Reading and Norristown.
2013 to 2018 The redistricting of 2011/2012 changed it to include parts of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lebanon counties. The following municipalities constituted the sixth district:
Berks County
Townships Boroughs
Chester County
Townships Boroughs Downingtown Malvern Phoenixville Spring City West Chester
Lebanon County
Townships Boroughs Heidelberg Jackson Millcreek North Lebanon District E South Lebanon West Cornwall Cornwall Myerstown Richland City of Lebanon Wards 1,2,4,5,7,8,9,10
Montgomery County
Townships Boroughs Douglass Limerick Lower Pottsgrove Lower Providence New Hanover Perkiomen District 1,2 Upper Hanover District 3 Upper Pottsgrove Upper Providence West Norriton District 1,2,3 West Pottsgrove Collegeville East Greenville Pennsburg Pottstown Red Hill Royersford Schwenksville Trappe
2019 The court-ordered map made the 6th a more compact district in Berks and Chester counties.
Current counties and municipalities
Berks County (19) Birdsboro, Brecknock Township, Caernarvon Township, Cumru Township, Exeter Township (part; also 4th; includes Baumstown, Jacksonwald, Lorane, Reiffton, and part of Pennside and Stony Creek Mills), Kenhorst, Lower Alsace Township, Mohnton, Mount Penn, New Morgan, Reading, Robeson Township, St. Lawrence, Sinking Spring, Shillington, Spring Townwship, Union Township, West Reading, Wyomissing
Chester County (73)
All 73 municipalities
List of members representing the district
1791–1793: one seat District created in 1791 from the . Representative Party Years Congress Electoral history District first established March 4, 1791 Andrew Gregg Anti-Administration March 4, 1791 –March 3, 1793 Elected in 1791.Redistricted to the .
District redistricted in 1793 to the .
1795–1813: one seat District created in 1795.
Member Party Years Congress Electoral history Samuel Maclay Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 Elected in 1794.Lost re-election. John A. Hanna Democratic-Republican March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1803 Elected in 1796.Re-elected in 1798.Re-elected in 1800.Redistricted to the . John Stewart Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 –March 3, 1805 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1802.Lost re-election. James Kelly Federalist March 4, 1805 –March 3, 1809 Elected in 1804.Re-elected in 1806.Lost re-election. William Crawford Democratic-Republican March 4, 1809 –March 3, 1813 Elected in 1808.Re-elected in 1810.Redistricted to the . 1813–1823: two seats
Congress Years Seat A Seat B Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history March 4, 1813 –March 3, 1815 Samuel D. Ingham Democratic-Republican Elected in 1812.Re-elected in 1814.Re-elected in 1816.Resigned. Robert Brown Democratic-Republican Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1812.Retired. March 4, 1815 –March 3, 1817 John Ross Democratic-Republican Elected in 1814.Re-elected in 1816.Resigned to become president judge of the seventh judicial district of Pennsylvania. March 4, 1817 –February 24, 1818 February 24, 1818 –March 3, 1818 Vacant March 3, 1818 –July 6, 1818 Thomas Jones Rogers Democratic-Republican Elected to finish Ross's term.Also elected 1818 to the next term.Re-elected in 1820.Redistricted to the . July 6, 1818 –October 13, 1818 Vacant October 13, 1818 –March 3, 1819 Samuel Moore Democratic-Republican Elected to finish Ingham's term.Also elected 1818 to the next term.Re-elected in 1820.Resigned. March 4, 1819 –March 3, 1821 March 4, 1821 –May 20, 1822 May 20, 1822 –October 7, 1822 Vacant October 7, 1822 –March 3, 1823 Samuel D. Ingham Democratic-Republican Elected to finish Moore's term.Redistricted to the .
1823–present: one seat