Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district - since January 3, 2013
Current Representative Keith Rothfus (R)
Distribution
  • % urban
  • % rural
Ethnicity
Occupation
Cook PVI R+6[1]

Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, the 12th District consists of all of Beaver County, and parts of Allegheny, Cambria, Lawrence, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties. It is currently represented by Republican Keith Rothfus. Before the 2011 round of redistricting, the 12th District consisted of all of Greene County, and parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties.

Geography 2003 - 2013

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania, the 12th District consisted of all of Greene County, and parts of Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties. A thoroughly unionized district, the 12th has historically been among the most Democratic areas of the state. However, the Democrats in this area were not as liberal as their counterparts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Most of them were somewhat conservative on social issues, particularly abortion and gun control.

The 12th included all of Greene County, a highly rural region that still has a traditionally Democratic influence due to its labor leanings. In Washington county, the city of Washington, a large and Democratic edge suburb of Pittsburgh is a part of the 12th, as well as the eastern portion of the county. Most of the Monongahela Valley region, a very Democratic area that was once an important steel-making area, was also part of the 12th. However, more rural western Washington County and the suburban northern portion of the county (with towns like McDonald and Canonsburg) then belonged to the 18th. The western portion of Fayette County, including the city of Uniontown, a labor Democratic stronghold was part of this district, while the rural mountainous eastern portion is a part of the 9th.

The 12th District continued eastward, including southeastern and northeastern parts of Westmoreland County, including the labor Democratic city of Latrobe, while leaving the suburban western part of the county (with towns such as Murrysville) and the generally left-leaning city of Greensburg in the 18th. The major population base of the district was located just to the east, taking in most of Somerset and Cambria counties. This area, the heart of a large coal-mining region, includes the district's largest city, Johnstown. The 12th also contained a part of Indiana County, mainly the college town of Indiana.

The 12th completed its wrap around the metro Pittsburgh region by ending in the northeastern corner of the city's suburbs, containing middle class regions such as Lower Burrell and the working class suburb of New Kensington. A portion of Armstrong County was also included in the district, including several industrial suburbs such as Freeport and Apollo.

Demographics

[Data unknown/missing. You can help!]

History

After the 2000 census, the Republican-controlled state legislature radically altered the 12th in an effort to get more Republicans elected from traditionally heavily Democratic southwestern Pennsylvania. A large chunk of the old 20th District was incorporated into the 12th. In some parts of the western portion of the district, one side of the street is in the 12th while the other side of the street is in the 18th District (the reconfigured 20th). This led to criticism that the 12th was a gerrymander intended to pack as many of southwestern Pennsylvania's heavily Democratic areas as possible into just two districts—the 12th and the Pittsburgh-based 14th.

Prior to the 2012 redistricting, the district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+1. The district is notable as the only congressional district in the nation that voted for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004 but went for Republican John McCain in 2008.

2006 election

In the 2006 election, Murtha was re-elected with 61% of the vote. His Republican opponent, Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey, received 39%.

2008 election

John Murtha won the 2008 election with 58% of the vote. Murtha was a United States Marine and the first Vietnam War veteran to serve in Congress. He defeated Lt. Col. William T. Russell, an army veteran.

2010 special election

Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell scheduled a special election for May 18, 2010, following the death of Representative John Murtha. On March 8, 2010, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party's Executive Committee nominated Mark Critz, Murtha's former district director.[2] On March 11, a convention of Republicans from the 12th district nominated businessman Tim Burns.[3] The Libertarian Party's candidate was Demo Agoris, who ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 48th district as a Libertarian in 2006.

Mark Critz won the election.

2010 election

Mark Critz was re-elected in the regularly scheduled 2010 election; again beating Republican Tim Burns (this time with 51% of the vote against 49%).

2012 election

Mark Critz ran for re-election to a second full term in the 2012 election, but was defeated by Republican challenger Keith Rothfus. Critz garnered 48.5% of the vote to Rothfus' 51.5%.[4]

List of representatives

Representative Party Years Electoral history
District created in 1795 from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district
Albert Gallatin Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –
March 4, 1801		 Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
William Hoge Democratic-Republican March 4, 1801 –
March 4, 1803		 Redistricted to 10th District
District eliminated 1803
District restored 1813
Aaron Lyle Democratic-Republican March 4, 1813 –
March 4, 1817		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Thomas Patterson Democratic-Republican March 4, 1817 –
March 4, 1823		 Redistricted to 15th District
John Brown Jacksonian DR March 4, 1823 –
March 4, 1825		 Redistricted from 9th District
John Mitchell Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 4, 1829		 Lost re-election
John Scott Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –
March 4, 1831		 Lost re-election
Robert Allison Anti-Masonic March 4, 1831 –
March 4, 1833		 Retired
George Chambers Anti-Masonic March 4, 1833 –
March 4, 1837		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Daniel Sheffer Democratic March 4, 1837 –
March 4, 1839		 Lost re-election
James Cooper Whig March 4, 1839 –
March 4, 1843		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Almon H. Read Democratic March 4, 1843 –
June 3, 1844		 Redistricted from 17th District
Died
Vacant June 3, 1844 –
December 2, 1844
George Fuller Democratic December 2, 1844 –
March 4, 1845		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
David Wilmot Democratic March 4, 1845 –
March 4, 1851		 Retired
Galusha A. Grow Democratic March 4, 1851 –
March 4, 1853		 Redistricted to the 14th District
Hendrick B. Wright Democratic March 4, 1853 –
March 4, 1855		 Lost re-election
Henry M. Fuller Opposition March 4, 1855 –
March 4, 1857		 Retired
John G. Montgomery Democratic March 4, 1857 –
April 24, 1857		 Died
Vacant April 24, 1857 –
December 7, 1857
Paul Leidy Democratic December 7, 1857 –
March 4, 1859		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
George W. Scranton Republican March 4, 1859 –
March 24, 1861		 Died
Vacant March 24, 1861 –
July 4, 1861
Hendrick B. Wright Democratic July 4, 1861 –
March 4, 1863		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Charles Denison Democratic March 4, 1863 – June 27, 1867 Died
Vacant June 27, 1867 –
November 21, 1867
George W. Woodward Democratic November 21, 1867 –
March 4, 1871		 Retired
Lazarus D. Shoemaker Republican March 4, 1871 –
March 4, 1875		 Retired
Winthrop W. Ketcham Republican March 4, 1875 –
July 19, 1876		 Resigned to become U.S. District Judge
Vacant July 19, 1876 –
November 7, 1876
William H. Stanton Democratic November 7, 1876 –
March 4, 1877		 Retired
Hendrick B. Wright Democratic March 4, 1877 –
March 4, 1879		 Lost re-election
Greenback March 4, 1879 –
March 4, 1881
Joseph A. Scranton Republican March 4, 1881 –
March 4, 1883		 Lost re-election
Daniel W. Connolly Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 4, 1885		 Lost re-election
Joseph A. Scranton Republican March 4, 1885 –
March 4, 1887		 Lost re-election
John Lynch Democratic March 4, 1887 –
March 4, 1889		 Lost re-election
Edwin S. Osborne Republican March 4, 1889 –
March 4, 1891		 Redistricted from At-large District
Retired
George W. Shonk Republican March 4, 1891 –
March 4, 1893		 Declined to be a candidate for renomination
William H. Hines Democratic March 4, 1893 –
March 4, 1895		 Lost re-election
John Leisenring Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 4, 1897		 Declined to be a candidate for re-election
Morgan B. Williams Republican March 4, 1897 –
March 4, 1899		 Lost re-election
Stanley W. Davenport Democratic March 4, 1899 –
March 4, 1901		 Lost renomination
Henry W. Palmer Republican March 4, 1901 –
March 4, 1903		 Redistricted to 11th District
George R. Patterson Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 21, 1906		 Died
Vacant January 21, 1906 –
November 6, 1906
Charles N. Brumm Republican November 6, 1906 –
January 4, 1909		 Resigned when he was elected judge of the court of common pleas of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Vacant January 4, 1909 –
March 4, 1909
Alfred B. Garner Republican March 4, 1909 –
March 4, 1911		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Robert E. Lee Democratic March 4, 1911 –
March 4, 1915		 Lost re-election
Robert D. Heaton Republican March 4, 1915 –
March 4, 1919		 Retired
John Reber Republican March 4, 1919 –
March 4, 1923		 Retired
John J. Casey Democratic March 4, 1923 –
March 4, 1925		 Lost re-election
Edmund N. Carpenter Republican March 4, 1925 –
March 4, 1927		 Lost re-election
John J. Casey Democratic March 4, 1927 –
May 5, 1929		 Died
Vacant May 5, 1929 –
June 4, 1929
C. Murray Turpin Republican June 4, 1929 –
January 3, 1937		 Lost re-election
J. Harold Flannery Democratic January 3, 1937 –
January 3, 1942		 Resigned to become judge of the common pleas court of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Vacant January 3, 1942 –
May 19, 1942
Thomas B. Miller Republican May 19, 1942 –
January 3, 1945		 Lost re-election
Ivor D. Fenton Republican January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1963		 Redistricted from 13th District
Lost re-election
J. Irving Whalley Republican January 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1973		 Redistricted from 18th District
Retired
John P. Saylor Republican January 3, 1973 –
October 28, 1973		 Redistricted from 22nd District
Died
Vacant October 28, 1973 –
February 5, 1974
John Murtha Democratic February 5, 1974 –
February 8, 2010		 Died
Vacant February 8, 2010 –
May 18, 2010
Mark Critz Democratic May 18, 2010 –
January 3, 2013		 Elected to finish Murtha's term
Re-elected in 2010
Lost re-election
Keith Rothfus Republican January 3, 2013 -
Present		 Incumbent

Historical district boundaries

2005 - 2013

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 113th Congress: 2004 & 2008" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
  2. ↑ Becker, Bernie (March 8, 2010). "Dems Choose Nominee for Murtha Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2010.
  3. ↑ Faher, Mike (March 12, 2010). "GOP chooses Burns for special election in 12th". The Tribune-Democratic. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
  4. ↑ "2012 General Election: Representative in Congress, District 12". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 15 November 2012.

Coordinates: 40°25′42″N 79°29′11″W / 40.42833°N 79.48639°W / 40.42833; -79.48639

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