Pennsylvania's second congressional district includes all of Northeast Philadelphia and parts of North Philadelphia east of Broad Street, as well as Center City and portions of Philadelphia's River Wards. It has been represented by Democrat Brendan Boyle since 2019.
The district is demographically diverse, with about 39% of residents identifying as white, nearly 27% of residents identifying as Black, 26% identifying as Hispanic or Latino (of any race), and 8% identifying as Asian.
Prior to 2018, the district covered West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, and Northwest Philadelphia, as well as parts of South Philadelphia, Center City, and western suburbs such as Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County. Before the 113th Congress, the district did not contain Lower Merion Township but instead contained Cheltenham Township.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania redrew the district in February 2018 after ruling the previous map unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering. The new second district is essentially the successor to the previous first district. As such, it remained heavily Democratic for the 2018 election and representation thereafter. Brendan Boyle, the incumbent from the previous 13th district, ran for re-election in the new 2nd district. Parts of the previous second district were shifted to the third.
Congressman Chaka Fattah represented the district from 1995 to 2016. On July 29, 2015, Fattah and a group of associates were indicted on federal charges related to their alleged roles in a racketeering and influence peddling conspiracy. On April 26, 2016, Dwight Evans toppled Fattah in a competitive Democratic primary election. Fattah resigned June 23, 2016. Evans then won a special election to fill Fattah's seat. He also won election for the regular term beginning January 3, 2017. Evans won re-election in the new 3rd congressional district.
Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 73–26% Attorney GeneralMorganelli 71–29% Auditor GeneralWagner 78–22%2010 SenateSestak 73–27% GovernorOnorato 71–29%2012 PresidentObama 78–22% SenateCasey Jr. 80–20%2014 GovernorWolf 80–20%2016 PresidentClinton 74–24% SenateMcGinty 73–26% Attorney GeneralShapiro 77–23% Auditor GeneralDePasquale 74–23% TreasurerTorsella 77–21%2018 SenateCasey Jr. 79–20% GovernorWolf 80–19%2020 PresidentBiden 71–28% Attorney GeneralShapiro 72–26% Auditor GeneralAhmad 69–27% TreasurerTorsella 70–27%2022 SenateFetterman 72–26% GovernorShapiro 76–22%2024 PresidentHarris 67–32% SenateCasey Jr. 68–29% TreasurerMcClelland 67–31%
Counties and municipalities Philadelphia County (1)
Philadelphia (part; also 3rd and 5th)
Philadelphia neighborhoods in the 2nd district include:
Academy Gardens Ashton Wooden Bridge Bridesburg Bustleton Center City East Kensington Fairhill Feltonville Fishtown Fox Chase Frankford Franklinville Glenwood Harrowgate Hartranft Holmesburg Hunting Park Kensington Krewstown Lawncrest Lawndale Lexington Park Logan/Ogontz/Fern Rock (part; also 3rd) Ludlow Mayfair Millbrook Morrell Park Norris Square Normandy North Philadelphia North Philadelphia East North Philadelphia West Northeast Philadelphia Port Richmond Oak Lane/East Oak Lane Olde Richmond Olney Oxford Circle Parkwood Poplar Rhawnhurst Somerton Tacony Torresdale West Kensington Wissinoming Yorktown
List of members representing the district
The district was organized from Pennsylvania's At-large congressional district in 1791.
1791–1793: one seat Representative Party Years Congress Electoral history District first established March 4, 1791 Frederick Muhlenberg Anti-Administration March 4, 1791 –March 3, 1793 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1791.Redistricted to the .
1795–1803: one seat Representative Party Years Congress Electoral history Frederick Muhlenberg Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1794.Retired. Blair McClenachan Democratic-Republican March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1799 Elected in 1796.Retired. Michael Leib Democratic-Republican March 4, 1799 –March 3, 1803 Elected in 1798.Re-elected in 1800.Redistricted to the .
1803–1813: three seats Congress Years Seat A Seat B Seat C Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history March 4, 1803 –March 3, 1805 Robert Brown Democratic-Republican Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1802.Re-elected in 1804.Re-elected in 1806.Re-elected in 1808.Re-elected in 1810.Redistricted to the . Frederick Conrad Democratic-Republican Elected in 1802.Re-elected in 1804.Lost re-election. Isaac Van Horne Democratic-Republican Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1802.Retired. March 4, 1805 –March 3, 1807 John Pugh Democratic-Republican Elected in 1804.Re-elected in 1806.Lost re-election. March 4, 1807 –March 3, 1809 William Milnor Federalist Elected in 1806.Re-elected in 1808.Lost re-election. March 4, 1809 –March 3, 1811 John Ross Democratic-Republican Elected in 1808.Retired. March 4, 1811 –March 3, 1813 Jonathan Roberts Democratic-Republican Elected in 1810. William Rodman Democratic-Republican Elected in 1810.Lost re-election as a Federalist.
1813–1823: two seats Congress Years Seat A Seat B Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history March 4, 1813 –February 24, 1814 Roger Davis Democratic-Republican Redistricted from the , and re-elected in 1812.Retired. Jonathan Roberts Democratic-Republican Re-elected in 1812.Resigned when elected U.S. Senator. February 24, 1814 –October 11, 1814 Vacant October 11, 1814 –March 3, 1815 Samuel Henderson Federalist Elected October 11, 1814, to finish Roberts's term and seated November 27, 1814.Lost election the same day to the next term. March 4, 1815 –March 3, 1817 William Darlington Democratic-Republican Elected in 1814.Lost re-election. John Hahn Democratic-Republican Elected in 1814.Lost re-election. March 4, 1817 –March 3, 1819 Isaac Darlington Federalist Elected in 1816.Retired. Levi Pawling Federalist Elected in 1816.Lost re-election. March 4, 1819 –March 3, 1821 William Darlington Democratic-Republican Elected in 1818.Re-elected in 1820.Lost re-election. Samuel Gross Democratic-Republican Elected in 1818.Re-elected in 1820.Retired. March 4, 1821 –March 3, 1823
1823–1833: one seat Representative Party Years Congress Electoral history Joseph Hemphill Jacksonian Federalist March 4, 1823 –March 3, 1825 Redistricted from the , and re-elected in 1822.Re-elected in 1824.Resigned. Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –1826 Vacant 1826 –October 26, 1826 Thomas Kittera Anti-Jacksonian October 26, 1826 –March 3, 1827 Elected to finish Hemphill's term in 1826.Lost re-election. General election ended in a tie vote and the seat remained vacant. March 4, 1827 –January 14, 1828 John Sergeant Anti-Jacksonian January 14, 1828 –March 3, 1829 Elected October 9, 1827, to finish the vacant term and seated January 14, 1828.Lost re-election. Joseph Hemphill Jacksonian March 4, 1829 –March 3, 1831 Elected in 1828.Retired. Henry Horn Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –March 3, 1833 Elected in 1830.Lost re-election.
1833–1843: two seats Congress Years Seat A Seat B Representative Party Electoral history Representative Party Electoral history March 4, 1833 –March 3, 1835 Horace Binney Anti-Jacksonian Elected in 1832.Retired. James Harper Anti-Jacksonian Elected in 1832.Re-elected in 1834.Retired. March 4, 1835 –March 3, 1837 Joseph R. Ingersoll Anti-Jacksonian Elected in 1834.Retired. March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1839 John Sergeant Whig Elected in 1836.Re-elected in 1838.Re-elected in 1840.Resigned. George W. Toland Whig Elected in 1836.Re-elected in 1838.Re-elected in 1840. March 4, 1839 –March 3, 1841 March 3, 1841 –September 15, 1841 September 15, 1841 –October 12, 1841 Vacant October 12, 1841 –March 3, 1843 Joseph R. Ingersoll Whig Elected in 1841 to finish Sergeant's term.
1843–present: one seat Member Party Years Congress Electoral history District location Joseph R. Ingersoll Whig March 4, 1843 –March 3, 1849 Re-elected in 1843.Re-elected in 1844.Re-elected in 1846.Declined to accept renomination. 1843–1853 Joseph R. Chandler Whig March 4, 1849 –March 3, 1855Elected in 1848.Re-elected in 1850.Re-elected in 1852.Lost re-election. 1853–1863 Job R. Tyson Whig March 4, 1855 –March 3, 1857 Elected in 1854. Edward J. Morris Republican March 4, 1857 –June 8, 1861 Elected in 1856.Re-elected in 1858.Re-elected in 1860.Resigned to become U.S. Minister to the Ottoman Empire. Vacant June 8, 1861 –July 2, 1861 Charles J. Biddle Democratic July 2, 1861 –March 3, 1863 Elected to finish Morris's term. Charles O'Neill Republican March 4, 1863 –March 3, 1871Elected in 1862.Re-elected in 1864.Re-elected in 1866.Re-elected in 1868.Lost re-election. 1863–18691869–1873 John V. Creely Republican March 4, 1871 –March 3, 1873 Elected in 1870.Disappeared in late 1872. Charles O'Neill Republican March 4, 1873 –November 25, 1893Elected in 1872.Re-elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Re-elected in 1878.Re-elected in 1880.Re-elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Re-elected in 1888.Re-elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Died. 1873–1875 1875–1883 1883–1889 1889–18931893–1903 Vacant November 25, 1893 –December 19, 1893 Robert Adams Jr. Republican December 19, 1893 –June 1, 1906Elected to finish O'Neill's term.Re-elected in 1894.Re-elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Re-elected in 1902.Re-elected in 1904.Died.1903–1913 Vacant June 1, 1906 –November 6, 1906 John E. Reyburn Republican November 6, 1906 –March 31, 1907 Elected to finish Adams's term.Re-elected in 1906.Resigned to become Mayor of Philadelphia. Vacant March 31, 1907 –November 5, 1907 Joel Cook Republican November 5, 1907 –December 15, 1910 Elected to finish Reyburn's term.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Died. Vacant December 15, 1910 –May 23, 1911 William S. Reyburn Republican May 23, 1911 –March 3, 1913 Elected to finish Cook's term.Retired. George S. Graham Republican March 4, 1913 –July 4, 1931Elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Died. 1913–19231923–1933 Vacant July 4, 1931 –November 3, 1931 Edward L. Stokes Republican November 3, 1931 –March 3, 1933 Elected to finish Graham's term.Redistricted to the . James M. Beck Republican March 3, 1933 –September 30, 1934 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1932.Resigned to object to the New Deal. 1933–1943 Vacant September 30, 1934 –January 3, 1935 William H. Wilson Republican January 3, 1935 –January 3, 1937 Elected in 1934.Lost re-election. James P. McGranery Democratic January 3, 1937 –November 17, 1943 Elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.