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United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010

United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010
Pennsylvania
← 2008 November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02) 2012 →

All 19 Pennsylvania seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 7 12
Seats won 12 7
Seat change Increase5 Decrease5
Popular vote 2,034,145 1,882,202
Percentage 51.41% 47.57%

2010 House elections Pennsylvania.svg
2010 election results by district
  Democratic hold
  Democratic gain
  Republican hold
  Republican gain

The 2010 congressional elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 2, 2010. Pennsylvania had nineteen seats in the United States House of Representatives. The election was held on the same day as many other PA elections, and the same day as House of Representatives elections in other states. Party primary elections were held May 18, 2010.

Democratic incumbent Bob Brady was the only member of the Pennsylvania delegation who ran unopposed in 2010.

Brady, a long time central figure in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, has never received less than 74% in a general election, and opponents have had difficult recruiting even moderately electable candidates in this majority-minority district that includes South Philadelphia and some working class suburbs in Delaware County. No Republican has represented this district since 1949. In 2008, he earned 91% of the vote against Mike Muhammad, a teacher who raised no outside funds. Respected for his ability to reach political deals behind the scenes, Brady has garnered an image as an effective politician, and thus has been rarely challenged by other Democrats. In 2010, Pia Varma, a young freelance writer for conservative publications attempted to gain the Republican nomination, but failed to produce enough signatures to appear on the ballot.

Democratic incumbent Chaka Fattah ran for reelection. He faced Republican Rick Hellberg (PVS), the CEO of a small financial firm. In 2008, Obama carried this district with 90% of the vote.

Fattah represents one of the top five most Democratic districts in the country, and has never received less than 79% of the vote in his over fifteen year House career. The district includes North Philadelphia and several traditionally liberal suburbs in Montgomery County. Fattah has had the consistent support of the African American community that is the base of a district that hasn't swung Republican since the 1946 elections. Despite this huge Democratic advantage, the district has small pockets of solid Republican territory, and thus Fattah has continuously received GOP opponents (although ones who were unable to raise all more than a few thousand dollars in fundraising), unlike his counterpart in the 1st District. In 2008, Fattah defeated engineer Adam Lang with 81% of the vote.


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