2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania

The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26.

District
Results of the 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania:

District 1
The 1st district included central and South Philadelphia, the City of Chester, the Philadelphia International Airport and other small sections of Delaware County.The incumbent was Democrat Bob Brady, who had represented the district since 1998. He was re-elected with 83% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of D+28.

Democratic primary
Brady was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Bryan Leib had filed with the FEC and announced his intention to challenge Brady for the Democratic nomination in July 2015, but did not file to run.

Nominee

 * Bob Brady, incumbent U.S. Representative

Withdrawn

 * Bryan Leib

Nominee

 * Debbie Williams

District 2
The 2nd district includes parts of West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia and Northwest Philadelphia in addition to Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County. Incumbent Chaka Fattah, who had represented the district since 1995, was re-elected with 88% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of D+38.

Democratic primary
Fattah was defeated in the Democratic primary by state Representative Dwight E. Evans.

Nominee

 * Dwight E. Evans, state representative, candidate for governor in 1994 and candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in 1999 and 2007

Eliminated in primary

 * Chaka Fattah, incumbent U.S. Representative
 * Brian Gordon, Lower Merion Township commissioner and candidate for PA-06 in 2010
 * Dan Muroff, Philadelphia's 9th Ward Democratic Leader and former congressional aide

Withdrawn

 * Brian Sims, state representative

Nominee

 * James Jones, human-resources consulting firm owner

Special election
On June 23, 2016, two days after being convicted of 22 corruption charges, Fattah resigned his seat in Congress. On July 1, 2016, Governor Tom Wolf announced that a special election would be held on November 8, concurrently with the regularly-scheduled election, to fill Fattah's seat for the final eight weeks of the 114th United States Congress.

Candidates

 * Democrats
 * Dwight E. Evans, state representative, candidate for governor in 1994 and candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in 1999 and 2007


 * Republicans
 * James Jones, human-resources consulting firm owner


 * Independents
 * Milton Street, former state senator and candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in 2007, 2011 and 2015

District 3
The 3rd district was in Northwestern Pennsylvania and included the cities of Erie, Sharon, Hermitage, Butler and Meadville. The incumbent was Republican Mike Kelly, who had represented the district since 2011. He was re-elected with 61% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+8.

Nominee

 * Mike Kelly, incumbent U.S. Representative

District 4
The 4th district was in South Central Pennsylvania and included all of Adams and York counties and parts of Cumberland County. The incumbent was Republican Scott Perry, who had represented the district since 2013. He was elected with 75% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+9.

Nominee

 * Scott Perry, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Josh Burkholder, multimedia digital artist

District 5
The 5th district, the state's largest and most sparsely populated, was in North Central Pennsylvania and included all of Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Huntingdon, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties and parts of Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Tioga, Warren and Venango counties. The incumbent was Republican Glenn Thompson, who had represented the district since 2009. He was re-elected with 64% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+8.

Nominee

 * Glenn Thompson, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Kerith Strano Taylor, family law attorney and nominee for this seat in 2014

District 6
The 6th district included communities north and west of the City of Philadelphia. The incumbent was Republican Ryan Costello, who had represented the district since 2015. He was elected with 56% of the vote in 2014, succeeding retiring Republican Jim Gerlach, and the district had a PVI of R+2.

Nominee

 * Ryan Costello, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Mike Parrish, businessman, retired US Army colonel and candidate for this seat in 2014

Withdrawn

 * Lindy Li, financial manager (failed to qualify for ballot placement)

District 7
The 7th district was in the Philadelphia suburbs, including most of Delaware County along with portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster counties. The incumbent was Republican Pat Meehan, who had represented the district since 2011. He was re-elected with 62% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+2.

Nominee

 * Pat Meehan, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Stan Casacio, businessman and former Cheltenham Town Councilman

Nominee

 * Mary Ellen Balchunis, college professor and nominee for this seat in 2014

Eliminated in primary

 * Bill Golderer, pastor and founder of Broad Street Ministry

Withdrawn

 * Lindy Li, financial analyst (running for PA-06)
 * Dave Naples, database administrator, 2007 candidate for Skippack Township Board of Supervisors and 2014 write-in candidate for governor (running for state house)

District 8
The 8th district was in Southeastern Pennsylvania and included Bucks County, along with portions of Montgomery County. The incumbent was Republican Mike Fitzpatrick, who had represented the district since 2011, and previously represented it from 2005 to 2007. He was re-elected with 62% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+1.

Republican primary
Fitzpatrick, a supporter of term limits, had pledged to limit himself to four terms in the House and did not run for re-election.

Nominee

 * Brian Fitzpatrick, retired FBI agent and brother of Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick

Eliminated in primary

 * Marc Duome, psychologist and businessman
 * Andy Warren, former Bucks County Commissioner

Withdrawn

 * Dean Malik, former Bucks County Assistant District Attorney and candidate in 2010
 * Scott Petri, state representative
 * Brian Thomas, marketing consultant

Declined

 * Jim Cawley, former lieutenant governor
 * Gene DiGirolamo, state representative
 * Mike Fitzpatrick, incumbent U.S. Representative
 * Rob Loughery, Bucks County Commissioner
 * Tom Manion, businessman and nominee in 2008
 * Chuck McIlhinney, state senator

Nominee

 * Steve Santarsiero, state representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Shaughnessy Naughton, chemist, businesswoman and candidate for this seat in 2014


 * Declined
 * Diane Marseglia, Bucks County Commissioner (endorsed Santarsiero)
 * Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Representative and candidate for attorney general in 2012
 * Kevin Strouse, United States Army Ranger and nominee for this seat in 2014 (endorsed Santarsiero)

District 9
The 9th district was in South Central Pennsylvania and included Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Franklin, Fulton, Bedford, Somerset, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties. The incumbent was Republican Bill Shuster, who had represented the district since 2001. He was re-elected with 64% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+14.

Republican primary
Shuster, the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was challenged in the 2014 Republican primary by two candidates, Art Halvorson and Travis Schooley, unhappy with his support for earmarks that bring projects to the district. Halvorson and Schooley both were considering running again.

On April 24, 2015, The Hill reported that businessman Tom Smith, who self-funded a 2012 U.S. Senate campaign, was considering a primary challenge of Shuster. Halvorson had pledged that he would not run if Smith did and would support him. In July, Smith announced he would not run, citing unexpected health concerns. After Smith declined to run, Halvorson announced he would run again. On October 17, 2015, Smith died.

Nominee

 * Bill Shuster, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Art Halvorson, businessman, Coast Guard veteran and candidate for this seat in 2014

Declined

 * Tom Smith, businessman and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2012

Democratic primary
While no Democrat appeared on the ballot, Arthur Halvorson, who lost in the Republican primary, received enough Democratic write-in votes to be the Democratic nominee; Halvorson vowed to caucus as a conservative Republican if elected.

District 10
The 10th district was in Northeastern Pennsylvania and included Monroe, Pike, Lackawanna, Wayne, Susquehanna, Bradford, Tioga, Sullivan, Lycoming, Union, Columbia, Snyder, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry counties. The incumbent was Republican Tom Marino, who had represented the district since 2011. He was re-elected with 63% of the vote in 2014.

Nominee

 * Tom Marino, incumbent U.S. Representative

Democratic primary
After no candidate stepped forward initially to run for the seat, three write in candidates announced to vie for the Democratic nomination. Former Lewisburg Mayor and environmental consultant, Mike Molesevich, Bucknell graduate student, Steve Belskie, and Justin Sheare all sought the Democratic nomination.

Nominee

 * Mike Molesevich, former mayor of Lewisburg and environmental consultant

Jerry Kaines, a Lycoming County building materials salesman, had formed an exploratory committee for a potential Independent campaign.

District 11
The 11th district was in Northeastern Pennsylvania and included Wyoming, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Northumberland, Dauphin, Perry and Cumberland counties. The incumbent was Republican Lou Barletta, who had represented the district since 2011. He was re-elected with 66% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+6.

Nominee

 * Lou Barletta, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Michael Marsicano, former mayor of Hazleton

District 12
The 12th district was in Southwestern Pennsylvania and included all of Beaver County and parts of Allegheny, Cambria, Lawrence, Somerset and Westmoreland counties. The incumbent was Republican Keith Rothfus, who had represented the district since 2013. He was re-elected with 59% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+9.

Nominee

 * Keith Rothfus, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Erin McClelland, psychologist, businesswoman and nominee for this seat in 2014

Withdrawn

 * Steve Larchuk, attorney, renewable energy business owner and candidate for the 4th district in 2004

District 13
The 13th district was in Southeastern Pennsylvania, covering eastern Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia. The incumbent was Democrat Brendan Boyle, who had represented the district since 2015. He was elected with 67% of the vote in 2014, succeeding retiring Democrat Allyson Schwartz, and the district had a PVI of D+13.

Nominee

 * Brendan Boyle, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Armond James

District 14
The 14th district included the entire city of Pittsburgh and parts of surrounding suburbs. The incumbent was Democrat Michael F. Doyle, who had represented the district since 2003, and previously represented the 18th district from 1995 to 2003. He was re-elected with 84% of the vote in the primary and unopposed in the general in 2014; the district had a PVI of D+15.

Democratic primary
Doyle was challenged for the Democratic nomination by Janis Brooks, who ran against him in 2012 and 2014.

Nominee

 * Michael F. Doyle, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Janis C. Brooks, pastor, CEO/founder of Citizens to Abolish Domestic Apartheid and candidate for this seat in 2012 and 2014

Nominee

 * Lenny McAllister, political commentator and candidate for Illinois's 2nd congressional district in 2013

District 15
The 15th district was in Eastern Pennsylvania and included Lehigh County and parts of Berks, Dauphin, Lebanon and Northampton counties. The incumbent was Republican Charlie Dent, who had represented the district since 2005. He was re-elected unopposed in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+2.

Nominee

 * Charlie Dent, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Rick Daugherty, former chair of the Lehigh County Democratic Party and nominee for this seat in 2012

Withdrawn

 * David A. Clark
 * Laura Quick

Declined

 * Archie Follweiler, former Kutztown Borough councilman and state house candidate in 2006

District 16
The 16th district was in Southeastern Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia and included a large portion of southern Chester County, most of Lancaster County and a sliver of Berks County, including the city of Reading. The incumbent was Republican Joe Pitts, who had represented the district since 1997. He was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+4. Pitts did not run for re-election.

Nominee

 * Lloyd Smucker, state senator

Eliminated in primary

 * Jeffrey Bartos
 * Chet Beiler, former chair of the Lancaster County Republican Committee, candidate for lieutenant governor in 2010 and nominee for auditor general in 2008
 * Craig Davis
 * Thomas Wentzel
 * Brad Witmer

Declined

 * Joe Pitts, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Christina Hartman, former nonprofit executive

Withdrawn

 * Raj Kittappa, stem cell researcher and candidate for this seat in 2014
 * Gary Wegman, dentist

District 17
The 17th district was in Eastern Pennsylvania and included Schuylkill, Carbon, Monroe, Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. The incumbent was Democrat Matt Cartwright, who had represented the district since 2013. He was re-elected with 57% of the vote in 2014, and the district had a PVI of D+4.

Nominee

 * Matt Cartwright, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Matt Connolly, sports car racing team owner and candidate for this seat in 2014

Eliminated in primary

 * Glenn Geissinger, Northampton County Councilman

District 18
The 18th district was in the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh and included parts of Allegheny, Washington, Greene and Westmoreland counties. The incumbent was Republican Tim Murphy, who had represented the district since 2003. He was re-elected unopposed in 2014, and the district had a PVI of R+10.

Nominee

 * Tim Murphy, incumbent U.S. Representative