Current Representative Dwight Evans (D) Median income 30,646 | Population (2000) 646,355 Cook PVI D+39 | |
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Distribution 100.00% urban
0.00% rural Ethnicity 30.9% White
61.2% Black
4.3% Asian
3.0% Hispanic
0.2% Native American
0.3% other | ||
Pennsylvania's second congressional district includes several areas of the city of Philadelphia – West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Northwest Philadelphia—in addition to 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.
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The district has an overwhelming Democratic majority. With the 113th Congress, it is the third most Democratic Congressional District out of the 435 in the nation, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, with a score of D +39. It is also the most Democratic district outside of New York.
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. On April 26, 2016, Dwight Evans toppled Fattah in a competitive Democratic primary election. Fattah resigned June 23, 2016. Evans then won a special election to fill Fattah's seat. He also won election for the regular term beginning January 3, 2017.
List of representatives
The district was organized from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district in 1791.
1795–1843: multiple seats
District created in 1795 from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional 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.