Ray's Round Up: 2016 Elections Preview Continued – United States Senate and House of Representatives

In recent weeks many publications have touted Pennsylvania as the key state in this year’s  Presidential race.  We are also playing a “keystone” role in another important outcome of the November election – party control of the United States Senate.

The Senate and U.S. House of Representatives consider legislation on the federal level, but the Senate has additional duties that the House does not.  One of their most important jobs is nominee consideration for positions in the President’s cabinet as well as for federal court judges.  In 2017, the Senate will be debating the nominees of a new President, as well as most likely considering a nominee for the current vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. Senate terms are six years in length, and one-third of the seats are up for election each two years.  In 2016, one of Pennsylvania’s two seats will be on the ballot.  The Senate currently has 54 Republican members and 46 Democratic members.  34 of the seats are up for election this year, and of those 34, 24 are currently held by Republicans.  A switch in party control of either 4 or 5 seats, depending upon who is elected President, would shift control of the Senate to the Democrats.

The Pennsylvania Senate seat up for election in 2016 is currently held by Pat Toomey, a Republican who is running for re-election.  Prior to being elected to the Senate in 2010, he was President of the Club for Growth, a non-profit group advocating for free-market, limited government principles.   He served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1999 and 2005, as well as previously worked in the financial services industry.  He is being challenged by Katie McGinty, the Democratic candidate.  She served as Chief of Staff to Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf before declaring her candidacy for the Senate.  Prior to this, she worked for an energy company.  She also served as Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection from 2003 to 2008.

Over the past few months, polls conducted in Pennsylvania have shown that this election is likely to be very close and neither candidate can be called the favorite to win at this point in time.

In addition to the Senate race, voters in Pennsylvania will have an opportunity to choose a candidate for the United States House of Representatives.  There are 435 members of the U.S. House and Pennsylvania elects 18 of them based on our population from the 2010 U.S. Census.  Pennsylvania’s 18 seats in the U.S. House are elected by district, with the districts determined by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and approved by the Governor.   Although the population of each district must be approximately equal, the shape of the districts can be determined by the General Assembly.  The political party in control of the General Assembly traditionally constructs the districts in a way that maximizes the probability of more members of that political party being elected to the U.S. House.  Pennsylvania currently has 13 Republican Representatives and 5 Democratic Representatives.  Two current Representatives, Mike Fitzpatrick in the Eighth District and Joe Pitts in the Sixteenth District, are not running for re-election in 2016.  One current Representative, Chaka Fattah in the Second District, was defeated in the Democratic primary election in May.  Three current Representatives – Mike Kelly in the Third District, Brendan Boyle in the Thirteenth District, and Tim Murphy in the Eighteenth District – are running unopposed in the November election.

The next session of the United States Congress will have many important issues to consider.  For Americans worried about their retirement security, none may be as important as working to ensure the future solvency of Social Security.  AARP has made this issue the cornerstone of its federal election efforts in 2016 and has asked all candidates to “ Take A Stand”. AARP has gathered information from candidates for President, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, as well as asked people to state if they will take action to update Social Security so it is financially sound and provides adequate income for current and future generations.

However, this question does not ask the candidates to provide details on how they would accomplish this goal.  More information on the ideas of the candidates may be available on their campaign websites.  Before you vote on November 8, take some time to  learn more about the names, district locations, and positions of the candidates.

“Ray’s Round Up” features updates on current state and federal issues by Ray Landis, AARP PA’s Advocacy Manager.