Election Countdown: Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional Race

October 27, 2020

Race: Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District

Key Cities: New Castle and Erie

Matchup: Republican/Incumbent Mike Kelly vs. Democrat Kristy Gnibus

The Race:

Pennsylvania’s 16^th district is located in the northwestern portion of the state and includes portions of Butler, Crawford, Erie, Lawrence, and Mercer counties. The incumbent is Representative Mike Kelly (R), who was first elected in 2010 and is running against Kristy Gnibus (D).

Rep. Kelly voted no to both H.R. 205 which extends the ban of offshore drilling in the U.S. and H.R. 1146 which banned the exploration of oil fields in Alaska. Rep. Kelly has continued to defend the oil and gas industry that is so prominent in his state, with an estimated more than 339,000 Pennsylvania jobs being connected to the state’s energy industry.

Polls:

The Cook Political Report has ranked the district at R+8 so it’s seen as likely Republican.