November 08, 2016
All 18 of Pennsylvania seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were on the ballot on Tuesday.
Republicans secured 13 seats while the other five went to Democrats.
In the greater-Philadelphia area, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle ran unopposed but six other seats were contested.
In two of the more competitive races, Republicans Patrick Meehan and Brian Fitzpatrick survived difficult tests to secure seats.
Here's how the races fared, according to the Associated Press:
With 97 percent of the vote reported, U.S. Rep. Robert Brady has earned a 10th full term in Washington after defeating Republican Deborah Williams. Brady received 82 percent of the votes cast (232,497 votes) to Williams' 18 percent (50,823).
Brady, head of the Philadelphia Democratic Party, will again represent the First Congressional District, which encompasses portions of Delaware County and much of south and central Philadelphia.
Williams, an insurance agent, was attempting to become the first black woman to serve in Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation. She also ran against Brady in 2004.
After securing the Democratic nomination in a four-way primary race, Dwight Evans defeated Republican James Jones to earn a full term in the Second Congressional District.
With 98 percent of the vote counted, Evans outpaced Jones by a wide margin, 310,712 to 33,911.
The seat, which represents portions of Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, and much of North, Northwest and West Philadelphia, was held by U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, who resigned in June after he was found guilty of racketeering, money laundering and fraud charges in federal court.
Evans had served as the representative of the Pennsylvania's 203rd Legislative District since 1980.
Jones is a Navy veteran and human resources consultant.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello secured a second term in the Sixth Congressional District, which includes portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lebanon counties. Costello, a Republican, defeated Democrat Mike Parrish, a former Army aviator who runs a natural resources company in West Chester.
With 88 percent of the vote reported, Costello received 57 percent of the vote over Parrish, 187,877 votes to 139,883.
U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan beat Democrat Mary Ellen Balchunis again to keep his seat in the Seventh Congressional District. The gerrymandered district includes most of Delaware County and portions of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lancaster counties. The race was a rematch of the 2014 election.
Meehan, a Republican, received 60 percent of the votes over Balchunis, 213,350 votes to 142,981. with 97 percent of the vote counted. Balchunis is a longtime political science professor at La Salle University.
In one of the most competitive U.S. House races on the ballot, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick defeated State Rep. Steve Santarsiero. The Eighth Congressional District seat had been held by Fitzpatrick's brother Mike Fitzpatrick, who is retiring. The district includes all of Bucks County and portions of Montgomery County.
Fitzpatrick is a former FBI agent. Santarsiero had served as a state lawmaker since 2009.
Fitzpatrick earned 201,509 votes to Santarsiero's 168,768. Santarsiero had served as a state lawmaker since 2009.
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, a Democrat completing his first term, ran unopposed in the 13th Congressional District, which includes portions of Montgomery County and Philadelphia.
Republican state Sen. Lloyd Smucker will assume the open 16th Congressional District, which includes most of Lancaster County and portions of Chester and Berks counties. The seat had been held by longtime U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts.
Smucker defeated Democrat Christina Hartman and Libertarian Shawn Patrick House.
With 99 percent of the vote in, Smucker received 163,280 votes to Hartman's 128,494 and House's 10,047.
