CQ Risk Rating: Safe Republican 
| GENERAL ELECTION: NOVEMBER 7, 2000 |
|
| Phil English (R) | 135,164 | 61% |
| Marc Flitter (D) | 87,018 | 39% |
| PRIMARY ELECTION: APRIL 4, 2000 |
|
| | Votes | Percentage | | Democratic |
| Marc Flitter | 24,465 | 100% |
| | Republican |
| Phil English | 31,058 | 100% |
Source: Congressional Quarterly. To suggest updates and corrections: politics.feedback@cq.com
Major Industry | Population | Cities | People | Race | Median Household Income | Unusual Features
PENNSYLVANIA 21
:
Northwest - Erie
Located in the northwest corner of the state, the 21st includes all of
Erie and Mercer counties and portions of Butler and Crawford. This
historically blue-collar center is home to Erie, the third-largest city in
the state. A port on the Great Lakes, Erie has been an industrial center for
more than a century.
Although the 21st was hard hit by economic restructuring in the 1980s,
it remained an industrial area. Fewer steel mills line Mercer County; those
that remain now operate with a smaller employment base.
Despite these changes, Mercer boasts the largest concentration of pipe
and tube production in the nation. In Crawford, nearly 150 tooling and
machining shops dominate the county's landscape. Industrial expansion in
Erie is also on the rise with a 1-million-square-foot facility housing a
distribution center and a manufacturing plant.
With Erie and Mercer voting Democratic and Butler and Crawford voting
Republican, the 21st is a classic swing district. Although Erie is
traditionally Democratic, with Italians and Poles vying for political power,
its surrounding areas are becoming politically competitive. Many of Mercer's
residents tend to cross party lines, even though the majority of Mercer's
voters are registered Democrats.
Major Industry
Manufacturing, agriculture, health care
Population
565,806 (1990)
Cities
Erie, 105,270; Sharon, 16,766; Butler, 15,179 (1996)
People
44% rural, 40% urban; 15% age 65+ (ranks 15 of 21 in state; top third
nationally); 58% married couples, 26% married couples with children; 15%
college educated (ranks 12 of 21 in state; bottom third nationally); 50%
white collar (ranks 15 of 21 in state; bottom third nationally), 33% blue
collar (ranks eighth of 21 in state; top third nationally) (1990)
Race
95% white, 4% black, 0% Asian; 1% Hispanic origin (1990)
Median Household Income
$25,845 (ranks 13 of 21 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)
Unusual Features
Gov. Tom Ridge hails from Erie; U.S. Brig Niagra, the only remaining
fighting ship of its kind from the War of 1812, docked in the district.
Source: Congressional Quarterly (Updated April 1999)
Front | Political News | Elections | The Issues | Federal Page | Polls
Columns - Cartoons | Live Online | Online Extras | Photo Galleries | Video - Audio
|
District 21
