Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 is represented by Danilo Burgos (D).
As of the 2020 Census, Pennsylvania state representatives represented an average of 64,098 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 62,734 residents.
About the chamber
Members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Pennsylvania legislators assume office on the first day of December after a general election.[1]
Qualifications
Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution states:[2]
| “ | Senators shall be at least 25 years of age and Representatives 21 years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of the State four years, and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State), and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.[3] | ” |
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[4] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $106,422.33/year | $185/day |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The presiding officer in the house where the vacancy happened must call for an election. There are no deadlines set in the state constitution on when a special election can be held.[5]
See sources: Pennsylvania Cons. Art. II, §2
District map
Redistricting
2020 redistricting cycle
On February 4, 2022, the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission voted 4-1 to approve new state House and Senate maps.[6] House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R) voted no, while Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R), state Rep. Joanna McClinton (D), state Sen. Jay Costa (D), and chairman Mark Nordenberg voted yes.[6] These maps took effect for Pennsylvania's 2022 legislative elections.
How does redistricting in Pennsylvania work? In Pennsylvania, the statutory authority to draw congressional district boundaries is vested with the Pennsylvania General Assembly. These lines are subject to gubernatorial veto.[7]
State legislative district lines are drawn by a politician commission. Established in 1968, the commission comprises five members:[7]
- The majority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
- The minority leader of the Pennsylvania State Senate appoints one member.
- The majority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
- The minority leader of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives appoints one member.
- The first four commissioners appoint a fifth member to serve as the commission's chair. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court must appoint a commission chair.[7]
The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact. Further, state legislative districts should "respect county, city, incorporated town, borough, township and ward boundaries." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.[7]
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
until November 30, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
starting December 1, 2022
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Incumbent Danilo Burgos won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Danilo Burgos (D) | 99.6 | 16,952 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 74 | ||
| Total votes: 17,026 | |||
 = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Incumbent Danilo Burgos advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on April 23, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos | 99.4 | 3,079 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 18 | ||
| Total votes: 3,097 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2022
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Incumbent Danilo Burgos won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos (D) | 100.0 | 10,835 |
| Total votes: 10,835 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Incumbent Danilo Burgos advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos | 100.0 | 3,357 |
| Total votes: 3,357 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2020
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Incumbent Danilo Burgos won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos (D) | 100.0 | 18,892 |
| Total votes: 18,892 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Incumbent Danilo Burgos advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos | 100.0 | 5,692 |
| Total votes: 5,692 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Danilo Burgos won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos (D) | 100.0 | 15,473 |
| Total votes: 15,473 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197
Danilo Burgos defeated Frederick Ramirez and incumbent Emilio Vazquez in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 on May 15, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Danilo Burgos | 36.9 | 1,317 |
| Frederick Ramirez | 34.7 | 1,237 | ||
| Emilio Vazquez | 28.4 | 1,013 | ||
| Total votes: 3,567 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
A special election for the position of Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 was called for March 21, 2017.[8]
The seat became vacant following Leslie Acosta's (D) resignation on January 3, 2017. In late September 2016, it was revealed that Acosta had pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering, a federal felony, in March 2016.[9][8]
Lucinda Little (R) was the only eligible candidate filed for the district. Democrat Freddie Ramirez was removed from the ballot via residency challenge. Democratic Party officials then nominated Emilio Vazquez, but did so past the filing deadline. Commonwealth Court Judge Anne Covey rejected efforts to see Vazquez added to the ballot. Green Party candidate Cheri Honkala was also denied a spot on the ballot after her nomination was submitted a day past the deadline.[10][11][12] Honkala and Vazquez both pursued write-in campaigns.[13]
On March 24, 2017, the Philadelphia Election Board tallied the write-in votes and found that Vazquez had won the special election.[14]
District 197, which includes most of North Philadelphia, had an 85 percent Democratic constituency at the time of the election.[15] The 2012 election was the most recent election in which two major party candidates faced off in the district prior to 2017. The Democratic candidate won that election with 95 percent of the vote. In 2016, Acosta ran unopposed.
Heading into the special election, Republicans controlled 121 seats in the 203-member state House. The special election, therefore, had no chance of shifting the chamber's balance of political power. Republicans, at the time, had a 34-16 majority in the state Senate, while the governorship was held by Democrat Tom Wolf, making Pennsylvania one of 19 states under divided government.
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 197, Special Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Emilio Vazquez (Write-in) |
73.2% | 1,972 | |
| Green | Cheri Honkala (Write-in) | 10.6% | 286 | |
| Republican | Lucinda Little | 7.5% | 201 | |
| Write-in | Write-in (Scattered) | 8.7% | 235 | |
| Total Votes | 2,694 | |||
2016
Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on April 26, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 16, 2016.
Incumbent Leslie Acosta ran unopposed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 general election.[16][17]
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197, General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Leslie Acosta Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: Pennsylvania Department of State | ||
Incumbent Leslie Acosta ran unopposed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 Democratic primary.[18][19]
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 197 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Leslie Acosta Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 11, 2014. Leslie Acosta defeated incumbent Jose Miranda, Danilo Burgos and Ben Ramos in the Democratic primary. Edward Lloyd, Jr. (D) was removed from the ballot on April 3, 2014, and Juan Rodriguez (D) was removed from the ballot on April 4, 2014. Acosta was unchallenged in the general election.[20]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Leslie Acosta |
49.2% | 2,871 |
| Danilo Burgos | 23% | 1,345 |
| Ben Ramos | 21.5% | 1,253 |
| Jose Miranda Incumbent | 6.3% | 367 |
| Total Votes | 5,836 | |
2012
Elections for the office of Pennsylvania House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on April 24, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 16, 2012. Jose Miranda (D) defeated Steve Crum (R) in the general election and defeated Jewel Williams, Kenneth Walker and Jamil Ali in the Democratic primary. Crum was unopposed in the Republican primary.[21][22]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jose Miranda |
94.9% | 25,998 | |
| Republican | Steve Crum | 5.1% | 1,404 | |
| Total Votes | 27,402 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Jose Miranda |
39.7% | 2,997 |
| Kenneth Walker | 19.6% | 1,478 |
| Jewel Williams | 34% | 2,563 |
| Jamil Ali | 6.7% | 504 |
| Total Votes | 7,542 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 raised a total of $1,220,379. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $53,060 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 197 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $206,255 | 1 | $206,255 |
| 2022 | $132,515 | 1 | $132,515 |
| 2020 | $100,815 | 1 | $100,815 |
| 2018 | $84,144 | 3 | $28,048 |
| 2016 | $60,961 | 1 | $60,961 |
| 2014 | $91,266 | 4 | $22,817 |
| 2012 | $49,299 | 4 | $12,325 |
| 2010 | $73,348 | 1 | $73,348 |
| 2008 | $125,363 | 1 | $125,363 |
| 2006 | $119,142 | 1 | $119,142 |
| 2004 | $103,980 | 2 | $51,990 |
| 2002 | $32,186 | 1 | $32,186 |
| 2000 | $41,105 | 2 | $20,553 |
| Total | $1,220,379 | 23 | $53,060 |
See also
- Pennsylvania State Legislature
- Pennsylvania State Senate
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Pennsylvania state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania Constitution, "Article II, Section 2," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑ The Constitution of Pennsylvania, "Article II, Section 5: Qualifications of members," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ State of Pennsylvania, "Pennsylvania Constitution," accessed February 15, 2021 (Article II, Section 2)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs nameddr - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 All About Redistricting, "Pennsylvania," accessed May 8, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Pocono Record, "Election set to replace lawmaker ensnared in embezzling case," accessed January 19, 2017
- ↑ Philly.com, "Brady on State Rep. Acosta: 'She should resign now' after guilty plea," accessed September 28, 2016
- ↑ Philly Inquirer, "Convicted legislator Acosta gets her wish for special election candidate to replace her," accessed February 2, 2017
- ↑ Philly Record, "Pols on the Street: Honkala's smart move," accessed February 10, 2017
- ↑ philly.com, "Democrats go to court, trying to get back on the 197th District ballot," February 27, 2017
- ↑ CBS Philly, "Special Election For The Pennsylvania House Gets Even More Special," March 19, 2017
- ↑ NBC 10, "Democrat Wins Surprise Write-In Election in North Philadelphia's 197th District," March 24, 2017
- ↑ PoliticsPA, "HD-197: Supreme Court Keeps Democratic Candidate Off the Ballot," March 13, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Voter Services, "Candidate listing," accessed August 31, 2016
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "November 8, 2016, official election results," accessed May 17, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Secretary of State, "Election Information," accessed February 18, 2016
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "2016 Presidential Primary," accessed August 2, 2016
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official primary results for May 20, 2014," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ "Pennsylvania Secretary of State - Official General Election Results," accessed November 4, 2013
- ↑ "Pennsylvania Secretary of State - Official Primary Election Results," accessed November 4, 2013
