Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district

Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative	Rob Bresnahan R–Dallas Township
Population (2023)	764,570
Median household income	$61,140
Ethnicity	74.6% White 13.2% Hispanic 6.3% Black 3.3% Two or more races 2.0% Asian 0.6% other
Cook PVI	R+4[1]

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 portions of Luzerne and Monroe counties.

The district had been anchored 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.^[2]

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 district also came from the old 10th district, including the more conservative counties of Pike and Wayne. Meanwhile, the Bucks County district was renumbered as the 1st district.^[3]

The district has a Cook PVI of R+4;^[1] however, the Democratic incumbent of the old 17th district, Matt Cartwright, won in 2018.^[4] It was one of five districts that would have voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election had they existed in their current configuration while being won or held by a Democrat in 2022. It is also the most Republican-leaning district held by a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus based on the Cook Partisan Voting Index.

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 populist-leaning, different from 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.

Lackawanna County (40)

All 40 municipalities

Luzerne County (55)

Ashley, Avoca, Bear Creek Township, Bear Creek Village, Buck Township, Butler Township (part; also 9th; includes Beech Mountain Lakes), Courtdale, Dallas Township, Dennison Township, Dupont, Duryea, Edwardsville, Exeter Borough, Exeter Township, Fairview Township, Freeland, Forty Fort, Foster Township, Franklin Township, Hanover Township, Harveys Lake, Hazle Township, Hazleton, Jackson Township, Jeddo, Jenkins Township, Kingston Borough, Kingston Township, Laflin, Larksville, Laurel Run, Luzerne, Nanticoke, Newport Township (part; also 9th; includes Sheatown and Wanamie), Nuangola, Penn Lake Park, Pittston, Pittston Township, Plains Township, Plymouth Borough, Plymouth Township, Pringle, Rice Township, Sugar Notch, Swoyersville, Warrior Run, West Pittston, West Hazleton, West Wyoming, White Haven, Wilkes-Barre, Wilkes-Barre Township, Wright Township, Wyoming, Yatesville

Monroe County (18)

Barrett Township, Chestnuthill Township, Coolbaugh Township, Delaware Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, Hamilton Township, Jackson Township, Middle Smithfield Township, Mount Pocono, Paradise Township, Pocono Township, Price Township, Ross Township (part; also 7th; includes part of Saylorsburg), Smithfield Township, Stroud Township, Stroudsburg, Tobyhanna Township, Tunkhannock Township

Pike County (13)

All 13 municipalities

Wayne County (28)

All 28 municipalities

The district was created in 1791.

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
District first established March 4, 1791
William Findley (Youngstown)	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793	2nd	Elected in 1791. Redistricted to the at-large district.

District eliminated in 1793 and replaced by the at-large district.

District restored in 1795.

Representative	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history
Thomas Hartley (York)	Federalist	March 4, 1795 – December 21, 1800	4th 5th 6th	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1794. Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Retired and then died.
Vacant		December 21, 1800 – January 15, 1801	6th
John Stewart (York)	Democratic-Republican	January 15, 1801 – March 3, 1803	6th 7th	Elected in 1800. Elected January 15, 1801, to finish Hartley's term and seated February 3, 1801. Redistricted to the 6th district.
William Findley (Youngstown)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1813	8th 9th 10th 11th 12th	Elected in 1802. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Redistricted to the 11th district.
William Piper (Bloodyrun)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817	13th 14th	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1812. Re-elected in 1814. Retired.
Alexander Ogle (Somerset)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819	15th	Elected in 1816. Retired.
Robert Philson (Somerset)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821	16th	Elected in 1818. Lost re-election as a Federalist.
John Tod (Bedford)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823	17th	Elected in 1820. Redistricted to the 13th district.

Years	Cong ress		Seat A				Seat B
			Representative	Party	Electoral history		Representative	Party	Electoral history
March 4, 1823 – April 20, 1824	18th		Thomas Jones Rogers (Easton)	Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1822. Resigned.		Samuel D. Ingham (New Hope)	Democratic-Republican	Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1822. Re-elected in 1824. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828 but resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
April 20, 1824 – December 9, 1824			Vacant
December 9, 1824 – March 3, 1825			George Wolf (Easton)	Democratic-Republican	Elected October 12, 1824, to finish Rogers's term and seated December 9, 1824. Also elected the same day in 1824 to the next term. Re-elected in 1826. Re-elected in 1828 but resigned to become Governor of Pennsylvania.
March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829	19th 20th			Jacksonian				Jacksonian
March 4, 1829 – October 13, 1829	21st		Vacant				Vacant
October 13, 1829 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd		Samuel A. Smith (Rockhill)	Jacksonian	Elected October 13, 1829, to finish Wolf's term and seated December 7, 1829. Re-elected in 1830. Retired.		Peter Ihrie Jr. (Easton)	Jacksonian	Elected October 13, 1829, to finish Ingham's term and seated December 7, 1829. Re-elected in 1830. Redistricted to the 7th district and lost re-election.

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	District location
Henry King (Allentown)	Jacksonian	March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835	23rd	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1832. Retired.	1833–1843 [data missing]
Edward Burd Hubley (Orwigsburg)	Jacksonian	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837	24th 25th	Elected in 1834. Re-elected in 1836. Retired.
	Democratic	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839
Peter Newhard (Allentown)	Democratic	March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843	26th 27th	Elected in 1838. Re-elected in 1840. Retired.
Jeremiah Brown (Goshen)	Whig	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	28th	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1843. Retired.	1843–1853 [data missing]
John Strohm (New Providence)	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849	29th 30th	Elected in 1844. Re-elected in 1846. [data missing]
Thaddeus Stevens (Lancaster)	Whig	March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853	31st 32nd	Elected in 1848. Re-elected in 1850. [data missing]
Henry A. Muhlenberg (Reading)	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – January 9, 1854	33rd	Elected in 1852. Died.	1853–1863 [data missing]
Vacant		January 9, 1854 – February 4, 1854
J. Glancy Jones (Reading)	Democratic	February 4, 1854 – October 30, 1858	33rd 34th 35th	Elected to finish Muhlenberg's term. Re-elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Resigned to become United States Minister to Austria.
Vacant		October 30, 1858 – December 7, 1858	35th
William H. Keim (Reading)	Republican	December 7, 1858 – March 3, 1859		Elected to finish Jones's term. [data missing]
John Schwartz (Reading)	Anti-Lecompton Democratic	March 4, 1859 – June 20, 1860	36th	Elected in 1858. Died.
Vacant		June 20, 1860 – December 3, 1860
Jacob K. McKenty (Reading)	Democratic	December 3, 1860 – March 3, 1861		Elected to finish Schwartz's term. Retired.
Sydenham E. Ancona (Reading)	Democratic	March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1867	37th 38th 39th	Elected in 1860. Re-elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Lost renomination.
					1863–1873 [data missing]
James L. Getz (Reading)	Democratic	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873	40th 41st 42nd	Elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired.
Hiester Clymer (Reading)	Democratic	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1881	43rd 44th 45th 46th	Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. [data missing]	1873–1883 [data missing]
Daniel Ermentrout (Reading)	Democratic	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1889	47th 48th 49th 50th	Elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Lost renomination.
					1883–1893 [data missing]
William Mutchler (Easton)	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – June 23, 1893	51st 52nd 53rd	Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Died.
					1893–1903 [data missing]
Vacant		June 23, 1893 – August 7, 1893	53rd
Howard Mutchler (Easton)	Democratic	August 7, 1893 – March 3, 1895		Elected to finish his father's term. Retired.
Joseph J. Hart (Milford)	Democratic	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897	54th	Elected in 1894. Retired.
William S. Kirkpatrick (Easton)	Republican	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	55th	Elected in 1896. Lost re-election.
Laird H. Barber (Mauch Chunk)	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901	56th	Elected in 1898. Retired.
Howard Mutchler (Easton)	Democratic	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	Elected in 1900. Retired.
Irving P. Wanger (Norristown)	Republican	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1911	58th 59th 60th 61st	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Lost re-election.	1903–1913 [data missing]
Robert E. Difenderfer (Jenkintown)	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1915	62nd 63rd	Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Lost renomination.
					1913–1933 [data missing]
Henry W. Watson (Langhorne)	Republican	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923	64th 65th 66th 67th	Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Redistricted to the Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district.
Thomas S. Butler (West Chester)	Republican	March 4, 1923 – May 26, 1928	68th 69th 70th	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Died.
Vacant		May 26, 1928 – November 6, 1928	70th
James Wolfenden (Upper Darby)	Republican	November 6, 1928 – January 3, 1945	70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th	Elected to finish Butler's term. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Redistricted to the Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district.
					1933–1943 [data missing]
					1943–1953 [data missing]
Charles L. Gerlach (Allentown)	Republican	January 3, 1945 – May 5, 1947	79th 80th	Redistricted from the 9th district and re-elected in 1944. Died.
Vacant		May 5, 1947 – September 9, 1947	80th
Franklin H. Lichtenwalter (Center Valley)	Republican	September 9, 1947 – January 3, 1951	80th 81st	Elected to finish Gerlach's term. Re-elected in 1948. [data missing]
Albert C. Vaughn (Fullerton)	Republican	January 3, 1951 – September 1, 1951	82nd	Elected in 1950. Died.
Vacant		September 1, 1951 – November 6, 1951
Karl C. King (Morrisville)	Republican	November 6, 1951 – January 3, 1957	82nd 83rd 84th	Elected to finish Vaughn's term. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Retired.
					1953–1963 [data missing]
Willard S. Curtin (Morrisville)	Republican	January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1967	85th 86th 87th 88th 89th	Elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Retired.
					1963–1973 [data missing]
Edward G. Biester Jr. (Furlong)	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1977	90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th	Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Retired.
					1973–1983 [data missing]
Peter H. Kostmayer (Solebury)	Democratic	January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1981	95th 96th	Elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Lost re-election.
James K. Coyne, III (Newtown)	Republican	January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983	97th	Elected in 1980. Lost re-election.
Peter H. Kostmayer (Solebury)	Democratic	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993	98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Lost re-election.	1983–1993 [data missing]
James C. Greenwood (Erwinna)	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2005	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th	Elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Retired.	1993–2003 [data missing]
					2003–2013
Mike Fitzpatrick (Levittown)	Republican	January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007	109th	Elected in 2004. Lost re-election.
Patrick Murphy (Bristol)	Democratic	January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011	110th 111th	Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Lost re-election.
Mike Fitzpatrick (Levittown)	Republican	January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017	112th 113th 114th	Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Retired.
					2013–2019
Brian Fitzpatrick (Langhorne)	Republican	January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019	115th	Elected in 2016. Redistricted to the 1st district
Matt Cartwright (Moosic)	Democratic	January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2025	116th 117th 118th	Redistricted from the 17th district and re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Lost re-election.	2019–2023
					2023–
Rob Bresnahan (Dallas Township)	Republican	January 3, 2025 – present	119th	Elected in 2024.

• List of United States congressional districts
• Pennsylvania's congressional districts

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

• Congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania

40°20′10″N 75°09′04″W / 40.33611°N 75.15111°W / 40.33611; -75.15111