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Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District election (May 15, 2018 Democratic primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 2
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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| Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 20, 2018 |
| Primary: May 15, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Pennsylvania |
| Race ratings |
Cook Political Report: Likely Democratic Inside Elections: Likely Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th • 7th (special) • 15th (special) • 18th (special) Pennsylvania elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
Mary Gay Scanlon won the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District with 28 percent of the vote.
A February Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling creating new boundaries for the state’s congressional districts saw the new 5th District cobbled together from pieces of the old 1st, 2nd, and 7th Districts. These districts were represented by Rep. Bob Brady (D), Rep. Dwight Evans (D), and Rep. Patrick Meehan (R), respectively. Brady and Meehan announced they would not seek re-election in 2018, and Evans ran for another term in the new District 3. For more on Pennsylvania's new congressional district map, click here.[1]
Hillary Clinton won the newly-drawn District 5 by 28 percentage points in 2016. She won the old district by two points.[2][3] Truthout said this was "the most dramatic shift of all 18 congressional districts caused by Pennsylvania's redistricting."[3]
Ten candidates ran in the election. According to Truthout, the Delaware County Democratic Committee gave its recommendation to George Badey, Shelly Chauncey, Thaddeus Kirkland, Ashley Lunkenheimer, Dan Muroff, and Mary Gay Scanlon. The committee held a party convention April 8, but was unable to come to a consensus after four rounds of voting, which ended in no endorsement being made. However, Ashley Lunkenheimer and Mary Gay Scanlon took the largest amount of votes.[4][5]
| Pennsylvania voter? Dates you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Primary election | May 15, 2018 |
| Candidate filing deadline | March 20, 2018 |
| Registration deadline | April 16, 2018 |
| Absentee application deadline | May 8, 2018 |
| General election | November 6, 2018 |
| Voting information | |
| Primary type | Closed |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
For more on related elections, please see:
- Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District election (May 15, 2018 Republican primary)
- Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District election, 2018
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party primaries in Pennsylvania, 2018
- Republican Party primaries in Pennsylvania, 2018
Results of 2018 redistricting
On February 19, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted a new congressional district map after ruling that the original map constituted an illegal partisan gerrymander. District locations and numbers were changed by the new map. Candidates on this page were listed under Pennsylvania’s new districts, which were used in the 2018 congressional elections. Click here for more information about the ruling.
The chart below compares this new district with the old district that was the most geographically similar to it.
| Old district[6] | Prior incumbent | Prior 2016 presidential result | New 2016 presidential result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th District | Pat Meehan (R) | D+2.3 | D+28.2 |
Not sure which district you're in? Find out here.
Click the box below to see how the new congressional districts compare to the ones in place before the redrawing.
Candidates and election results
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 5 on May 15, 2018.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 5
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Mary Gay Scanlon  | 28.4 | 17,220 |
 | Ashley Lunkenheimer | 15.3 | 9,291 | |
 | Richard Lazer | 15.0 | 9,095 | |
 | Molly Sheehan | 10.2 | 6,216 | |
 | Gregory Vitali | 9.4 | 5,726 | |
 | Lindy Li | 7.0 | 4,236 | |
 | Theresa Wright | 5.2 | 3,149 | |
 | Thaddeus Kirkland | 4.0 | 2,420 | |
 | Margo Davidson | 4.0 | 2,413 | |
| Larry Arata | 1.5 | 925 | ||
| Total votes: 60,691 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- George Badey (D)
- David Wertime (D)
- Dan Muroff (D)
- Shelly Chauncey (D)
Election updates
Campaign finance
- Ashley Lunkenheimer led Mary Gay Scanlon in funds raised by about $1,000 as of the March 31 reporting deadline: $404,683 to $403,929.
Endorsements
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) endorsed Richard Lazer on May 11.
- On April 25, Lunkenheimer was endorsed by the Mid-County Democratic Committee and Scanlon secured the backing of state Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky.
Candidates
Top candidates
Richard Lazer
Lazer is the former Philadelphia Deputy Mayor for Labor. He has also worked for former Philadelphia City Councilman Jim Kenney. At the time of the 2018 election, he served on the board of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) and Philadelphia Works Inc.
Lazer graduated from LaSalle University in 2007.[12]
A self-described progressive activist, Lazer was backed by unions such as the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades, and the American Federation of Teachers. He was also endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I).
Ashley Lunkenheimer
Lunkenheimer is a former federal prosecutor. She spent almost ten years working as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She has also worked as senior counsel at AmeriHealth Caritas, working to expand Medicaid in Pennsylvania.
Lunkenheimer earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, her master's in social work from Columbia University, and her bachelor's degree from Amherst College.[13]
Lunkenheimer's campaign website highlighted healthcare, education, and taxes as priorities.[14]
Mary Gay Scanlon
Heading into the 2018 election, Scanlon served as the national Pro Bono Counsel at Ballard Spahr. She has also worked as an attorney for the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania and the Support Center for Child Advocates. Scanlon was appointed co-chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Commission on Children at Risk.
Scanlon earned her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a judicial clerk for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania immediately after.[15]
Scanlon ran her 2018 primary campaign as a self-described progressive.[15] She listed "voting rights, gender equity, and reducing poverty" among her campaign priorities.
List of all candidates
Democratic primary candidates
- Larry Arata
- Margo Davidson
- Thaddeus Kirkland
- Richard Lazer
- Lindy Li
- Ashley Lunkenheimer
- Mary Gay Scanlon ✔
- Molly Sheehan
- Gregory Vitali
- Theresa Wright
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Campaign themes and policy stances
Policy stances
Listed below are the policies each of the top candidates posted on their websites prior to the 2018 election.
Richard Lazer
Economic opportunity
Rich Lazer knows a stronger economy begins with providing opportunity and he’s spent his entire career fighting to expand job creation, to ensure fair and equal wages, and for small business development. He believes that every worker should have an equal opportunity and that workers’ rights are protected.
Rich was involved in utilizing a $300 million capital investment by the state in 2016 aimed at creating 6,670 new direct and indirect jobs by 2020, benefiting many families in the region.
Rich helped create jobs at the Navy Yard, as well as numerous construction projects in the city of Philadelphia which employed thousands of union members in multiple trades from Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
Equal opportunity
As the son of working parents from a rowhome neighborhood, Rich understands that American values begin with family. For him, that means guaranteeing a $15 minimum wage, so anyone working 40 hours a week isn’t living in poverty and providing paid family leave to new moms and dads.
Protecting the civil rights of people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community are also foundational American values for Rich. That includes fighting against workplace harassment and sexual assault, protecting the voting rights of disenfranchised communities that Republicans have targeted, and recognizing that Black Lives Matter.
Education
Rich believes in fighting for access to a quality education, regardless of gender, color, or socioeconomic status. He has worked with Mayor Kenney to fund early childhood education and is proud to have been part of an administration that is expanding Universal Pre-K in Philadelphia.
Rich understands that when childcare costs eat 25% of a parent’s paycheck, kids and families suffer. He knows that teacher compensation must reflect their importance to our children’s future.
As someone who still pays student loans, Rich wants to broaden student loan forgiveness so that working Americans aren’t paying off student debt well into their 40s and 50s.
Healthcare
Rich believes healthcare is a basic human right. Our President, and his Republican allies in Washington, think differently; making it critical that we protect the gains made by the Affordable Care Act, while working to put a single-payer Medicare-for-all system in place that includes coverage for pre-existing conditions and holistic treatment options for those who struggle with mental health issues.
The fact that women pay more, on average, for healthcare than men, while earning about 80 cents to each dollar men earn, is unconscionable. Rich stands with Planned Parenthood, and other organizations committed to women’s healthcare, that work to make sure that women have access to affordable care.
Rich will work to reduce drug prices for American people. Pharmaceutical firms who charge US citizens significantly more than they charge other industrialized countries for similar medications must be held accountable. The health and well-being of those in our country should never be compromised in the name of corporate interests.
Criminal Justice Reform
During Rich’s time in the Mayor’s Office, Philadelphia reduced its local jail population by more than 20%. By reducing the incarceration rate of non-violent offenders, and eliminating the use of cash bail, the formula is in place to alleviate overcrowding in local jails across the country.
Working in conjunction with Philadelphia Works and organized labor, Rich worked to increase returning citizen’s ability to stay out of jail by establishing training and job programs and encouraging businesses to provide previously incarcerated people with meaningful job opportunities.
As part of a focus on providing nonviolent offenders with a second chance, Rich wants to end the criminalization of those who suffer from mental health issues, addiction and substance abuse, and he recognizes that treatment will make folks healthier, and better able to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
Gun Control
Rich supports common sense legislation that will put us on the right path to ending gun violence, including:
- Prohibiting individuals with domestic violence convictions from purchasing firearms.
- Banning the sale of assault weapons, bump stocks, and high-capacity magazines.
- Mandatory criminal background checks on all gun sales, closing any loopholes.
- Banning gun sales to those on the terror watch-list.
- Increasing the age limit for purchasing a firearm from 18 years old to 21 years old.[16]
Ashley Lunkenheimer
Criminal Justice Reform
As a former prosecutor I’ve seen the enormous good our justice system can do to keep families and communities safe. I’ve also seen the damage that can be done when that power is abused.
Today, there are over two million Americans incarcerated in our federal and state prisons, most for non-violent crimes.
We need to reform our criminal justice systems so that non-violent offenders, the mentally ill, and those suffering from addiction stop being incarcerated in such overwhelming numbers. This means looking at more alternatives to incarceration for non-violent first-time offenders. Overly harsh sentences should be reduced. We need to address drug addiction as a health care crisis and stop treating those suffering from addiction like violent criminals.
We need to look for better ways to help those in prison. Incarcerated populations should not be subjected to health-threatening conditions and should benefit from access to medical care. They should be armed with new skills to assist with their successful re-entry into the community.
We also need to solve the deep racial disparities and discrimination entrenched in our justice system. In Pennsylvania, over 60% of the incarcerated population are people of color, despite accounting for less than 20% of the state’s overall population. This is not a coincidence. African-Americans are more susceptible to a number of inequitable practices, including serving longer prison sentences for the same crime, more frequent arrests for non-violent drug use, or imprisonment due to an inability to afford bail.
Initiatives to fix this include the legalization and reclassification of marijuana, for which arrest for possession rose by 33 percent between 2010 and 2016 across Pennsylvania despite Philadelphia’s progress on the issue by passing a decriminalization law in 2015.
We also need to address issues in policing. Our law enforcement officials deserve praise for their willingness to face a dangerous job every day. But abuse of the system must be curbed. In Philadelphia, 60 percent of officers fired for misconduct are subsequently rehired. We need to encourage police protocol that minimizes discrimination and penalizes misconduct.
Education
Every American child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential no matter who they are or where they are from.
As a mother of three children, I am fully committed to strengthening all of our public schools. I served as the Chair of a Montessori Pre-K school and am a strong proponent of universal, quality Pre-K education for all our children. Research has shown that access to Pre-K programs produces large academic gains, amounting to the equivalent of an extra one-fifth to one-third of a year of learning. Low-income families have seen benefits from Pre-K education, including increased high school graduation and employment and decreased incarceration rates. Expanding these programs to reach all of our children is a powerful tool to improving our country’s education system and fortifying our future economy.
President Trump’s proposed budget would cut the Department of Education budget by a higher percentage than cuts to any other federal department, removing $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives. Rather than supporting public schools, the president and Secretary DeVos are seeking to expand charter and private schools by $400 million, while eliminating over 20 critical education initiatives. DeVos has sought to empower the unscrupulous for-profit college industry while rolling back protections for those it has swindled. We cannot allow the Trump administration’s continued subversion of our school systems, and I will work hard to stop it in Congress.
Supporting our public schools is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. We need better trained workers to keep our economy growing and to attract good employers to the region.
I support raising teacher pay to make sure we retain and attract the best teachers. We need to work toward options for students to graduate from college debt-free. And for those who decide four-year college is not the best path for them, we need strong two-year colleges and better vocational training that leads directly to job opportunities.
Environment
Climate change is real. It’s a threat to our economy, national security, and way of life. As citizens and parents, it is imperative that we address it.
We must address the destruction of our green spaces and natural resources that has become standard fare for the Trump administration. Interior Secretary Zinke has announced plans to open the majority of the nation’s coastlines to offshore drilling, and in December, the administration engaged in the largest rollback of federal land protection in the nation’s history.
Economic growth at the expense of the environment is a short-term and foolish gamble, the impact of which is felt by many Americans, including those of us living in Delaware County. The Sunoco Mariner East 2 Pipeline is symptomatic of the type of projects we should abstain from funding – it poses undue risk to our children, community and lands.
We are not immune to the increasingly frequent extreme storms, the exacerbated chances of flooding, or the unseasonable weather swings. We must address the plundering of our natural spaces and preserve the limited green spaces that persist. This starts by transitioning to a clean energy economy powered by renewable energy so we can end our reliance on fossil fuels. We need to expand cost-saving energy efficiency. The federal government needs to phase out new fossil fuel leasing on our public lands and oceans. And most importantly, the United States needs to re-commit to the Paris Climate Agreement on Climate Change.
I will work hard to reverse Donald Trump’s gutting of the EPA, including his repeal of clean water and clean air regulation, both of which are choices that demonstrate his commitment to filling the pockets of fossil fuel executives rather than of protecting Americans’ health and our environment.
Health Care
All Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care and Congress needs to be doing much more to make access a reality.
During my time as an Assistant United States Attorney, it was abundantly clear to me that quality schools, jobs that provide upward mobility, and good health care are the necessary foundation for safe and thriving communities. This is why I went to work at AmeriHealth Caritas, where I helped expand Medicaid and Medicare services in Pennsylvania to thousands of underserved residents.
Unfortunately, Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress see things very differently. Rather than helping more Americans afford health care, they are putting their own partisan agenda ahead of what is best for our country by doing everything possible to gut the Affordable Care Act.
We cannot permit them to roll back protections for pre-existing conditions, allow insurance companies to charge those near retirement five times more than others, and strip away coverage from millions of Americans.
As we examine the potential for long-term changes, such as a move toward a single-payer system, my top priority will be to protect the Affordable Care Act from these attacks and work to strengthen it. That begins by ensuring the implementation and protection of the individual mandate, the feature by which costs can be kept manageable for those most in need of health care services, including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. We must shore up insurance exchanges and stop the political game of reducing cost-sharing. We also need to stop the Trump administration from allowing insurance companies to sell “junk policies.”
More than 2.8 million Pennsylvanians are enrolled in our state’s Medicaid expansion as of June 2016. Medicaid expansion’s statewide implementation helped to drop the uninsured rate in Pennsylvania from 9.7% in 2013 to 6.4% in 2015. Governor Wolf further increased enrollment by raising the eligibility requirements from 50 percent, instituted by ex-Governor Corbett, to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. I support this measure and would support similar bills on a national level.
In order to bring down costs, Medicare should be allowed to negotiate prescription drug prices just like the Veteran’s Administration can. Additionally, people aged 55-64 who are priced out of the private insurance market should be allowed to buy into Medicare.
Health care services should not be limited to insurance solutions. We have pressing national health crises, including a rampant opioid epidemic and high obesity rates. We should strive for holistic solutions to these problems by providing greater access to non-traditional medical services and counseling. We need to continue to empower consumers by requiring clear point-of-purchase nutritional information from food providers. We need to increase access to physical activity—through our schools, recreation departments, and communities. And we should encourage greater community engagement, an essential component of well-being for successful, late-life aging. Such expansive thinking and doing was what I was most proud of at AmeriHealth Caritas, and we need to do it more broadly for all of us and our unique health care needs.
These are issues I care passionately about and are chief motivators in my decision to run for Congress. I will fight to help my fellow citizens realize their healthiest lives.
Immigration
Immigration makes our country stronger. When Donald Trump attacks immigrant families with hateful rhetoric and uses federal agencies to tear apart families based solely on immigration status, he undermines the fabric of our country. As a federal prosecutor, I did not charge undocumented immigrants with unlawful reentry into the United States after deportation unless they had committed other crimes. It is appalling to watch the president use DREAMers’ lives and well-being as a political bargaining chip; these are law-abiding residents who pay taxes and are expected to contribute nearly half a trillion dollars in GDP over the next decade.
In Congress I will work to fix our broken immigration system and pass comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million law abiding undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States, including the 2.1 million DREAMers who were brought to this country as children.
Jobs and Economy
As someone who grew up and is raising my family in Delaware County, I understand the region’s potential to become a national leader in economic growth and development, allowing people to work in better jobs and more comfortably raise their families.
Stabilizing the healthcare market by reversing the Republican partisan repeal of the individual mandate is not only a health priority but an economic one. Working families and individuals cannot afford for their premiums to continue to rise while their options fall, and fixing this will be my first priority.
While Republicans and the Trump administration have prioritized lining the pockets of their wealthiest donors, I believe that the economy needs to work for everyone, not just the richest citizens. Despite Republicans’ claim that their unnecessary tax giveaway would benefit all workers, less than 15 percent of corporate savings have been put toward employees. Meanwhile, more than $21 billion has been spent on stock buybacks and dividend increases. It’s clear that Republicans’ priority is enriching the rich, rather than going to work for all of America’s citizens. I will put the government back to work for all of us.
We must also invest in growth by better capitalizing on the potential of our educational institutions, and by creating economic empowerment zones. The Philadelphia region has one of the largest concentrations of colleges in the nation, while Delaware County Community College provides more than 40 certificate and apprenticeship programs. We should embrace and foster educational opportunity and business growth that provide our citizens increased upward mobility.
I support gender pay equality—in Delaware County, male employees made 1.35 times as much as female employees in 2015. This is unfair and unsustainable. I will work to reduce the pay gap, and I support raising the minimum wage so that all our citizens can earn a sustainable living from full-time work.
I am a strong proponent of unions, which protect and empower our workers, and my voting record in Congress will reflect that belief. The deterioration of protections for unions has coincided with a rise in healthcare costs and a stall in pay, making costs untenable. Unions deserve support from the government to empower their workers to pursue protected careers.
I am running for Congress because I believe government can and should foster economic opportunity for all people.
National Security and Foreign Policy
Our country is facing international threats that must be taken seriously and dealt with responsibly.
North Korea’s dictator is rapidly developing a nuclear arsenal capable of striking the United States. Russia is actively undermining our democracy while supporting Bashar-al-Assad’s brutal atrocities against the Syrian people. And Iran remains a serious security threat.
Now, more than ever, we need strong, measured leadership to deal with these threats. Yet, our president is making the threats worse while isolating us from the world. Donald Trump’s recklessness has inflamed the situation in North Korea; it has undermined our ability to investigate Russia’s meddling in our democracy, and to prevent future recurrences. The administration has treated Russian meddling so trivially that, despite Congress allocating $120 million to counter future election meddling efforts, the State Department has not spent a cent.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration is reducing our State Department to a shell of what it once was—half of the top ranks of leadership at the State Department are gone. Seven of the Department’s top nine posts remain vacant, making it impossible to conduct its business to the full effectiveness that the American people deserve.
In Congress, I will be an assertive voice to hold the President and his administration accountable. I will work to strengthen and continually modernize our armed forces to maintain peace, while empowering and rebuilding our diplomatic corps to ensure that military force is the last resort.
Ultimately, America is safest and strongest when we stand behind our values and lead by example. We have a responsibility to promote democracy and human rights across the globe.
Reducing Gun Violence
The students of Parkland, Florida are right – it is beyond time for our public officials to reduce gun violence and prevent tragic shootings. No parent or teacher should have to tell their children that they need to be prepared to hide in a closet if someone comes into their school with a gun and tries to shoot them. Our schools and streets should be safe, which is what drove me to tackle gang violence and take guns from felons while in the U.S. Attorney’s office, and it is an important driver of my decision to enter this congressional race.
Sensible gun laws are not a partisan issue. On average, approximately 3,000 children and teens are fatal victims of gun violence each year; that number swells to 33,000 when adults are included.
Briefly setting aside the national dialogue, there are three irrefutable and unacceptable facts about gun violence in Pennsylvania. First, Pennsylvania placed fifth in the nation for highest homicides in 2015. Second, Pennsylvania’s law enforcement officers are victims of gun violence at an exceptionally high rate, ranking 18th in the nation for officers killed with a firearm.Third, Pennsylvanians are more likely to be killed by guns than they are to die in car accidents. Legislation must be passed to introduce more common sense to Pennsylvania’s gun laws.
As a federal prosecutor, I helped obtain the conviction of a felon who left his unsecured gun within reach of his young child – the child died while playing with the gun. I helped ensure that an individual charged with a felony and found incompetent by a court was prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. I helped take assault weapons, such as AR-15s, Tec 9s, and AK-47s, from violent drug trafficking gangs in Delaware County. I have prosecuted violent felons who drove to other states to purchase firearms from internet sellers so that they could bring those firearms back to Delaware County and commit crimes. Immediate action must be taken to close loopholes in our gun laws and keep guns out of the hands of felons, terrorists, domestic abusers and those who are mentally ill.
As your Representative, I will prioritize the safety of Americans and propose and support measures that can reduce the likelihood of gun tragedies and promote safe and prosperous communities. Some of the commonsense legislative measures I would support include:
- Expanding the existing criminal background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet, or in classified ads, while providing reasonable exceptions for certain family and friend transfers;
- Expanding laws to ensure that individuals declared mentally incompetent and those on the “No-Fly” terrorist watch list are prohibited from purchasing firearms;
- Moving to ban weapons of war from private ownership, such as AR 15s, Tec 9s, AK-47s, as well as large capacity ammunition magazines and bump stocks; and
- Ending the Republican prohibition on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention from studying gun violence as a health issue.
Reproductive Rights
I am pro-choice and I firmly believe that the government should not interfere with women’s health decisions.
In Congress, I will fight against every Republican attempt to undermine Roe v. Wade, defund Planned Parenthood, and restrict women’s access to reproductive health care and birth control. Since the 115th Congress’s commencement in 2017, Republicans have introduced more than 50 bills to limit women’s ability to choose. I will oppose those bills and fight to increase access to clinics for women across the country.
Reproductive freedom is about more than protecting a woman’s right to her own body. Reproductive rights are fundamentally linked to advancing economic interests for women—medical clinics in support of women’s health and choice is an imperative tool to bridge the equality gap.
Sexual Harassment
We must do more to address sexual harassment and assault, starting with Congress and President Trump. There should be an immediate and full investigation of every allegation of sexual harassment and assault against Donald Trump, and every member of Congress who has used taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment case should be exposed – taxpayer dollars should not be used to pay victims for illegal conduct by members of Congress. New, zero-tolerance standards need to be adopted to protect against workplace harassment. Stronger penalties need to be enacted. Today, many people feel they must either accept harassment or lose their jobs. That never should be the case.
Social Security and Medicare
Social Security and Medicare are a promise we have made to Americans that have paid into these programs with every paycheck. They are the frontline of defense against poverty in our country, with Social Security lifting nearly 750,000 people out of poverty in Pennsylvania alone. We have an obligation to protect these programs from those in Congress who seek to undermine them.
I will oppose any effort to privatize Social Security or reduce the quality of health services provided under Medicare. And I will strongly oppose any effort to cut benefits that seniors have spent years paying for.
The Value of Diversity
My wife, Starla, and I have been together since 1997, and have lived in real time the incredible progression that the LGBTQ community has made in the past two decades. In the early years, we couldn’t imagine a reality where marriage would one day be legal. Our youth was characterized by a feeling of being under siege, whether it was being physically attacked outside of a gay bar, the never-ending obituaries of gay men felled by AIDS, or the constant attacks from politicians scoring cheap political points at the expense of our community.
In anticipation of having children, we had a commitment ceremony in 2006 here in Delaware County, and invested time and money in manufacturing a legal safety net for our future family. As we began to have children, we moved into a new front of LGBTQ rights: being a family with same-sex parents. We cross-adopted our children, and took to carrying our kids’ birth certificates with both our names on it – the better if we faced a legal emergency.
Today, we have the Windsor and Obergefell decisions that transformed our lives. We married in 2013 in the presence of our children. But we know how tenuous our rights are. As the only openly gay candidate running for Congress from Pennsylvania, you can count on me to see hate for what it is, regardless of how it is framed or at what community it is directed.
I am running for Congress because I want to give my kids a better America that draws strength from diversity.[17]
Mary Gay Scanlon
Education
Mary Gay Scanlon has been fighting for children’s access to quality public education for decades. As President of the Wallingford-Swarthmore School Board, a public education advocate, the parent of public school students, and the founder of a career development program for students in the Philadelphia public schools, Mary Gay has firsthand knowledge of the issues and has worked on solutions to the problems in our public education system. We need to support innovation and excellence in public education, while protecting it from attempts by Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration to undermine or dismantle it.
Mary Gay is an expert in education law and policy. As an attorney at the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, Mary Gay led class action lawsuits on the behalf of students with disabilities and was appointed to two statewide commissions to improve the delivery of special ed services. She represented children and testified before the Pennsylvania legislature about the harms and risks of zero tolerance policies in public schools. In Congress, Mary Gay will introduce and support policies including, but not limited to:
Universal Pre-K
Only half of 4-year olds are currently enrolled in pre-school, and less than one fourth have access to publicly-funded pre-K programs. Research clearly shows that early childhood education is vital to a child’s development. As a congresswoman, Mary Gay will sponsor legislation to support universal preschool programs.
Student Loan Reform and Debt Relief
Student loan debt is undermining our economy and shortchanging graduates. More than 43 million Americans are saddled with $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. We must lower student loan interest rates, reinstate measures to crack down on predatory lending and debt collection that the Trump administration has undermined, and provide relief to graduates with crippling debt. Some student loans should be forgiven, and others refinanced at the lowest interest rate possible. The government and banks should not make enormous profits from student debt.
Removing Barriers to Higher Education
Upward mobility almost always requires post-high school education. We must invest in technical and university education to strengthen the American workforce. In addition to student loan reform, Mary Gay supports tuition free community college for all students and legislation providing tuition free public university education for students living in households with annual income below $150,000.
Leveling the Playing Field
It is too easy for vulnerable students to slip through the cracks. We must expand IDEA and Title I funding and enforcement to help level the playing field and allow all students to succeed. The special education mandates created by the IDEA 40 years ago cannot be implemented without full funding by the federal government.
Stronger federal funding is particularly important in Pennsylvania, where chronic underfunding of public schools by the state, and reliance on property taxes, has created gross inequality between rich and poor public school districts, depriving our classroom teachers and most vulnerable students of vital resources they need to succeed. Mary Gay will oppose attempts to divert public funds to private schools and will introduce legislation to improve federal education funding and enforcement.
Voting Rights
The right to vote is central to who we are as Americans. One of our core progressive values is to make it easier for eligible voters to exercise their rights; we have already seen the fruits of recent efforts by the Wolf administration to make it easier for Pennsylvanians to register and vote.
Our elections are under now under attack by forces from both foreign and domestic sources. The Trump/Sessions administration has failed completely to investigate Russian attacks on our 2016 elections, or deter future interference. Instead, this administration has encouraged a false and partisan narrative involving virtually nonexistent voter fraud that undermines public faith in our elections.
However, there are other threats to our elections. In recent years, voter suppression efforts have escalated, fueled by the REDMAP strategy, a project of the Republican State Leadership Committee of the United States to increase Republican control of Congressional seats by gerrymandering, and the 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Shelby that undermined the Voting Rights Act.
Mary Gay Scanlon has been a staunch advocate for voting rights for decades. In 2005-6, she organized a team of lawyers to developed testimony and a report that was submitted to Congress on behalf of the National Coalition of Voting Rights. As the Co-Chair of the Voting Rights Task Force of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel, she has worked to combat voter suppression and gerrymandering through modern day Jim Crow tactics such as strict voter ID laws, roll purges and impediments to voter registration. Her nationally-recognized pro bono program also helped to pass a ballot initiative that resulted in Maine’s 2016 adoption of ranked choice voting, which gave voters more say in who they elect.
Immigration
Our immigration system is broken, and we must enact comprehensive reform. We are a nation of immigrants, and should not turn our backs on those fleeing violence, oppression, and poverty. Our country is better and stronger because of resilient, hardworking immigrants. We should not alienate immigrant communities; we should embrace them.
For over 15 years, Mary Gay has represented immigrants fleeing economic and political violence. Mary Gay has represented asylum seekers, young people seeking DACA and special immigrant juvenile status, and victims of human trafficking. When President Trump announced his immigration ban, Mary Gay dispatched attorneys to airports across the country to represent families being detained by ICE officials, and when the Trump administration began deporting hardworking non-violent immigrants, who had committed no crime other than being in the country, Mary Gay organized training and materials to help immigrants fearing deportation to protect their families.
Reducing Gun Violence
Mary Gay Scanlon is a longtime supporter of responsible legislation to reduce the plague of gun violence. In 2000, she organized two bus loads of her neighbors to attend the Million Mom March, and she has actively supported organizations and candidates promoting common sense solutions to gun violence ever since. First she marched; now she is running - to pass sensible gun policy reforms.
Every day, 96 Americans die from gun violence. Not even our most precious spaces, our schools and churches, are immune. Many gun deaths are preventable, and research clearly shows that states with stricter gun laws have lower rates of gun violence.
Mary Gay is committed to common sense reforms that help to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them, and prevent further carnage. She believes that one can both respect the 2nd Amendment and advocate for sensible and responsible solutions to gun violence.
Gender Equity
As a country, we have made progress in closing the opportunity gap for women, but there is still work to be done. In order for us to continue this progress, women need a seat at the table. Women’s voices should not just be present when discussions take place or policies are being written regarding workplace harassment, pay equity, and reproductive healthcare: women’s voices should be leading those discussions.
Mary Gay Scanlon has fought to empower women and girls in the classroom, in the workplace, on the field, and in our democratic process throughout her personal and professional life. Under the Trump Administration, a fully fledged assault on women’s rights is taking place and strongest defense we have is ensuring more women are elected to office. In Congress, Mary Gay will continue fighting to ensure that our government doesn’t turn the clock back on the progress we’ve made for women, everywhere.
Criminal Justice Reform
Our criminal justice system is broken. With one quarter of the world’s prison population, the United States has by far the highest rate of incarceration on the planet, and the racial disparities are enormous. Black men are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white men, and double that of hispanic men. Our prisons have become expensive warehouses for nonviolent offenders with little prospect for rehabilitation. Over 40% of prisoners are incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses. When prisoners are released, 77% return, due to a lack of rehabilitation and post-incarceration opportunities. In addition, our jails are increasingly being used as a substitute for adequate mental health care.
Mary Gay has fought for criminal justice reform for decades. Mary Gay organized and coordinated training for hundreds of attorneys to screen and represent federal prisoners seeking to have their sentences commuted under the Obama administration’s Clemency Project. Under her direct supervision, 29 prisoners were granted clemency by President Obama; one of them became the subject of a movie, The Sentence, to be released by HBO later this year. Her team is also currently prosecuting a class-action in South Carolina to improve prison system mental health services.
Mary Gay has seen how our criminal justice system is plagued with policies that disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of color. She will use her expertise to advance smart solutions to end the cycle of mass incarceration and transition to a criminal justice system focused on rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
LGBTQ Rights
The US Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to strike down the ban on same sex marriage was a milestone in the continued fight for LGBTQ rights. But, this fight is far from over. On a daily basis, LGBTQ Americans face discrimination and attacks in their workplaces, in our healthcare facilities, in our schools, and at home. Prior to the legalization of same sex marriage, Mary Gay Scanlon provided research and legislative support to leading LGBTQ legal groups to assist them in their push to legalize same-sex marriage, including regularly updating the list of legal issues impacted by the failure to recognize such unions. Mary Gay believes that all forms of discrimination and hate are unacceptable and will continue to fight for equality in Congress.
As an ally of the LGBTQ community, Mary Gay has a long history of representing LGBTQ individuals and developing resources for organizations that support them. She has led pro bono work in the following areas:
- Research projects on gay marriage rights, counseling athletic organizations on inclusion practices, and policies for transgender athletes
- Challenging the Establishment Clause on the definition of marriage under the tax code
- Providing advice to non-profit organizations that support the LGBTQ community on corporate governance, employment, and intellectual property
- Media law counseling and training to the largest national LGBTQ civil rights organization.
Mary Gay understands that the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ community are impacted at every intersection of society. She’s fought for same-sex couples seeking to adopt children. In multiple states, including Pennsylvania, her team has assisted more than 65 transgender individuals in changing their names, and challenged states on providing appropriate gender markers on identification documents. While on the Wallingford-Swarthmore school board, Mary Gay authorized the extension of benefits to same sex partners of employees, before the legalization of same-sex marriage made them otherwise eligible. The church that she and her family attend is a reconciling congregation dedicated to the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in both the policy and practice.
Healthcare
Healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a privilege only for those who can afford it. Our healthcare system is broken. Many Americans cannot afford preventative care or life-saving treatments, and over 10% remain uninsured. Last fall, the Republicans passed a disastrous tax-cut bill that repealed the individual mandate, the glue that held the Affordable Care Act together. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that up to 13 million additional Americans will lose coverage because of the GOP Tax Bill.
Mary Gay supports universal healthcare and believes that every American should have quality healthcare without being subjected to financial hardship. She supports a transition to Medicare for All, but believes that in making that transition, we must protect the Affordable Care Act and support a public option system that protects the most vulnerable Americans who lack healthcare, or who only received it through the ACA. She knows that our veterans are not receiving the care they deserve, and that women’s healthcare must be a top priority.
Furthermore, the opioid epidemic continues to ravage the country, having killed over 60,000 Americans in the last year alone.
Environment
Climate change is both real and a threat to our nation and our children. Global average temperatures are increasing, oceans are rising, and extreme weather events are becoming more common. Climate change threatens our health, our national security, and our economy. In the past year, deadly hurricanes likely strengthened by warming oceans ravaged Puerto Rico, Florida, and Texas. Pollution remains a significant problem, especially in low-income communities and communities of color. If we do not act swiftly and decisively, our children will be paying the consequences for generations to come.
Renewable sources of energy are becoming cheaper than fossil fuels. Wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are easy, safe, and inexpensive. The cost of preventing pollution is far lower than the cost of continuing to allow corporations to pollute our air and water. In Congress, Mary Gay will make protecting the environment and investing in renewable energy a priority.
Net Neutrality
Net Neutrality is vital to a free and open internet.
Access to high speed, unrestricted internet is important to educators and students, entrepreneurs and startups. It spurs innovation in communications and content delivery. Throttling users, or creating “fast lanes,” makes it more difficult for new businesses and innovators to create new and profitable digital products and services.
Access to the internet is also a free speech issue. Digital tools are invaluable in organizing citizens and voters around issues and causes. Governments and corporations should not be able to stifle dissent or criticism by slowing down, blocking or hindering the activities of those who disagree with them.
To be clear, Mary Gay believes that internet service providers should not be able to throttle legal content over their systems.[18]
Campaign finance
The table below details the campaign finance reports of the candidates in this election who reported at least $10,000 in funds raised as of March 31, 2018.[19]
Satellite spending
- Middle Class PAC spent $500,000 on television ads for Richard Lazer.[20]
- Progress in PA-05 spent $18,000 on mailings in support of Ashley Lunkenheimer.[21]
Endorsements
Richard Lazer[22]
National figures
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (I)[23]
State figures
- State Sen. Anthony Williams (D)
- State Rep. Joanna McClinton (D)
- State Rep. Maria Donatucci (D)
Local figures
- Rohan Hepkins, Yeadon Borough mayor
- Harry Dunfee, Sharon Hill Borough mayor
- Richard Womack, Darby Township commissioner
- Janet English, Lansdowne Borough councilwoman
- Ben Hover, Lansdowne Borough councilman
- Wardell Holt, Lansdowne Borough councilman
- Hykeem Green, Sharon Hill Borough councilman
- Jennifer Parks, Darby Borough councilwoman
- Ruby Munden, Darby Borough councilwoman
- Darren Burrell, Darby Borough councilman
- Tomeka “Taliah” Jones-Waters, Yeadon Borough councilwoman
- Delores McCabe, Yeadon Borough councilwoman
Organizations
- Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
- Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
- Laborers District Council
- Teamsters Joint Council 53
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
- 215 People’s Alliance
- Firefighters Local 22
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local No. 8
- Philadelphia FOP, Lodge 5
- Delaware County FOP, Lodge 27
- International Longshoremen’s Association
- International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
- AFSCME District Council 33, District Council 47, District 1199c
- Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades
- Communication Workers of America
- Unite Here locals 274, 634, and 54
- SEIU PA State Council
- Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals
- Liberty City Democratic Club
- Plumbers, Local 690
- PA Conference of Teamsters
- The Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters
- Working Families Party
- American Federation of Teachers
- United Aerospace Workers, Local 1069
Mary Gay Scanlon
State figures
- State Rep. Leanne Krueger-Braneky[24]
- Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell[25]
Ashley Lunkenheimer
Organizations
- Mid-County Democratic Committee[24]
Campaign tactics and strategies
Campaign advertisements
Richard Lazer
|
Ashley Lunkenheimer
|
Mary Gay Scanlon
|
Republican district won by Hillary Clinton
This district was one of 25 Republican-held U.S. House districts that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election.[26] Nearly all were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2018.
Click on the table below to see the full list of districts.
Click here to see the 13 Democratic-held U.S. House districts that Donald Trump (R) won.
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
| Race ratings: Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District election, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+13, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 13 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District the 102nd most Democratic nationally.[31]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.01. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.01 points toward that party.[32]
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Pennsylvania heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
- Republicans held 12 of 17 U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania.
State executives
- As of May 2018, Democrats held five of 11 state executive positions, while six were held by nonpartisan officials.
- The governor of Pennsylvania was Democrat Tom Wolf.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. They had a 120-79 majority in the state House and a 33-16 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Pennsylvania was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Tom Wolf (D) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.
2018 elections
- See also: Pennsylvania elections, 2018
Pennsylvania held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- One U.S. Senate seat
- 18 U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- 25 of 50 state Senate seats
- 203 state House seats
Demographics
| Demographic data for Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 12,791,904 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 44,743 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 81.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.1% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,599 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 15.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Pennsylvania. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2017, Pennsylvania had a population of approximately 12,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Philadelphia (pop. est. 1.6 million), Pittsburgh (pop. est. 300,000), and Allentown (pop. est. 120,000).[33][34]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Pennsylvania every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 |  Donald Trump |
48.6% | Hillary Clinton |
47.9% | 0.7% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
52.1% | Mitt Romney |
46.7% | 5.4% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
54.7% | John McCain |
44.3% | 10.4% |
| 2004 | John Kerry |
51.0% | George Bush |
48.5% | 2.5% |
| 2000 | Al Gore |
50.6% | George Bush |
46.4% | 4.2% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Patrick Toomey |
48.8% | Katie McGinty |
47.3% | 1.5% |
| 2012 | Bob Casey |
53.7% | Tom Smith |
44.6% | 9.1% |
| 2010 | Patrick Toomey |
51.0% | Joe Sestak |
49.0% | 2.0% |
| 2006 | Bob Casey |
58.7% | Rick Santorum |
41.3% | 17.4% |
| 2004 | Arlen Specter |
52.6% | Joseph Hoeffel |
42.0% | 10.6% |
| 2000 | Rick Santorum |
52.4% | Ron Klink |
45.5% | 6.9% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Pennsylvania.
| Election results (Governor), Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Tom Wolf |
54.9% | Thomas Corbett |
45.1% | 9.8% |
| 2010 | Thomas Corbett |
54.5% | Dan Onorato |
45.5% | 9.0% |
| 2006 | Ed Rendell |
60.4% | Lynn Swann |
39.6% | 20.8% |
| 2002 | Ed Rendell |
53.4% | Mike Fisher |
44.3% | 9.1% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 13 |
72.2% | 5 |
27.8% | R+8 |
| 2014 | 13 |
72.2% | 5 |
27.8% | R+8 |
| 2012 | 13 |
72.2% | 5 |
27.8% | R+8 |
| 2010 | 12 |
63.2% | 7 |
36.8% | R+5 |
| 2008 | 7 |
36.8% | 12 |
63.2% | D+5 |
| 2006 | 8 |
42.1% | 11 |
57.9% | D+3 |
| 2004 | 12 |
63.2% | 7 |
36.8% | R+5 |
| 2002 | 12 |
63.2% | 7 |
36.8% | R+5 |
| 2000 | 11 |
52.4% | 10 |
47.6% | R+1 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | _ |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2018
- United States House elections in Pennsylvania (May 15, 2018 Democratic primaries)
- Pennsylvania's 5th Congressional District election (May 15, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Daily Times News, "Pennsylvania Supreme Court give Delco 5th Congressional District," Updated February 20, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections presents presidential election results for Pennsylvania's new congressional map," February 26, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Truthout, "After Pennsylvania Redistricting, Democratic Party Leaders Try to Pick Their Own Primary Winner," March 28, 2018
- ↑ Delaware County Times, "Dems lack votes to endorse 5th District candidate," Updated April 10, 2018
- ↑ Main Line Suburban Life, "Frontrunners emerge in Dem’s 5th District race," April 16, 2018
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Refers to the old district that makes up a plurality of the new district.
- ↑ The old 1st and 11th districts did not make up a plurality of any of the new districts. The 1st District went for Hillary Clinton by 61.3 percentage points and was represented by Bob Brady (D). The 11th District went for Donald Trump by 23.8 percentage points and was represented by Lou Barletta (R).
- ↑ District 13 incumbent Brendan Boyle (D) filed for re-election in the new 2nd District.
- ↑ District 17 incumbent Matt Cartwright (D) filed for re-election in the new 8th District.
- ↑ Lamb was elected in a March 2018 special election to replace Rep. Tim Murphy (R).
- ↑ Lamb filed to run for PA-17 in the 2018 election.
- ↑ Rich Lazer 2018 campaign website, "About Rich," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ Ashley Lunkenheimer 2018 campaign website, "About," accessed April 30, 2018
- ↑ Ashley Lunkenheimer 2018 campaign website, "Home," accessed April 30, 2018
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mary Gay Scanlon 2018 campaign website, "Meet Mary Gay," accessed April 30, 2018
- ↑ Richard Lazer 2018 campaign website, "On the Issues," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ Ashley Lunkenheimer 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ Mary Gay Scanlon 2018 campaign website, "Issues," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "View Candidates for House of Representatives," accessed April 30, 2018
- ↑ The Inquirer, "Pro-Rich Lazer super PAC floods TV with $300K more in ads | Clout" Updated April 27, 2018
- ↑ The Inquirer, "Another Pa. congressional candidate gets a super PAC, but who is behind it? | Clout," Updated April 24, 2018
- ↑ Richard Lazer 2018 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed May 9, 2018
- ↑ WHYY, "Sanders backs Lazer in 5th District congressional race," May 11, 2018
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Delaware County News Network, "Two Dems pick up support, another exits race in 5th," April 25, 2018
- ↑ WHYY, "Rendell backs Scanlon for Congress in redrawn Delaware County district," April 4, 2018
- ↑ This figure includes Pennsylvania districts that were redrawn by the state Supreme Court in early 2018 and districts that flipped in special elections.
- ↑ The new 1st district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 8th District held by Fitzpatrick. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 5th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 7th District held by Meehan. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 6th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 6th District held by Costello. Click here to read more.
- ↑ The new 7th district was created in early 2018 due to court-ordered redistricting and most closely resembles the old 15th District held by Dent. Click here to read more.
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Pennsylvania," accessed January 3, 2018
- ↑ Pennsylvania Demographics, "Pennsylvania Cities by Population," accessed January 3, 2018
