Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district is located in the northeastern region of the state. It encompasses all of Wayne, Pike, and Lackawanna counties, along with almost all of Luzerne and Monroe counties.
The district was primarily based in Bucks County from the 1940s until 2018, even as most other districts in Pennsylvania changed drastically during that time frame due to population shifts and Pennsylvania's loss of seats in the House.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional due to gerrymandering. The 8th district was reassigned to the northeastern part of the state for the 2018 elections and representation thereafter. It is geographically the successor of the former 17th district, including the ancestrally Democratic cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre in the Wyoming Valley. Portions of the new 8th also came from the old 10th district, including the more conservative counties of Pike and Wayne. The district has a Cook PVI of R+1; however, the Democratic incumbent of the old 17th district, Matthew Cartwright, won in 2018.
District characteristics
The district is a mix of suburban and rural communities. It is predominantly white and middle class. The bulk of its population is located in the ancestrally Democratic cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. However, the Democrats in this district are not as liberal as their counterparts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. The old 17th swung from a 55-43 win for Barack Obama to a 54-43 win for Donald Trump--the first time much of this area had voted for a Republican since 1988.Election results
List of members representing the district
The district was created in 1791.1791–1793: One seat
| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history |
William Findley | Anti-Administration | March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793 | Elected in 1791. Redistricted to the. |
District eliminated in 1793 and replaced by the.