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Both PA-7 Dems Live Outside the District

Sheehan and MuroffPoliticsPA has learned that Democrat Molly Sheehan, who announced yesterday she is running in the 7th Congressional district, does not live in the district.  She currently lives in Philadelphia.  

The other Democratic candidate for the seat Dan Muroff also lives in Philadelphia, where he is a ward leader and ran for Congress in 2016.

“There is a difference between running where you are moving, and moving where you are running,” Sheehan said, taking a slight swipe at Muroff who says he is looking to move into the district in the next six weeks and resign his ward leader position.  

“We are in the process of looking for housing in the district,” Sheehan said in a phone interview with PoliticsPA.  

Sheehan is finishing up her fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, and is looking to move back to the district by the end of the year.  She grew up and went to college in the district.  

The law does not require a congressional candidate to live in the district where he or she runs or lives. Someone in Erie could theoretically run in Pa-7.

The 7th district’s unusual shape means that it does not have a core local identity. It is the most oddly shaped in southeast Pa., stretching from the Bucks County line to the outskirts of Lancaster and from the Delaware/Maryland border to north of Reading.

Muroff did not respond to requests for comment.

27 Responses

  1. I could not care less if they live in the 7th. It’s gerrymandered to all oblivion to most democrats in our communities live just outside of it. What does somebody from Lancaster have in common with somebody from Flourtown? Nothing. Meehan made the district insane across all SEPA so now he should have to stand against any candidate from the region. People need to ask ‘do they represent ME?’, not ‘do they live within the insane boundary?’

  2. I look forward to a change in this 7th district seat – and getting rid of the Trump Rubber stamp of Meehan. How could anyone in their right mind support Trump’s follies. Time for a breath of fresh air who truly cares and represents the people. I support Molly Sheehan, a bright energetic woman to fill the roll.

  3. @Isaac – Kathy D. never ran in the 7th – she ran in the 3rd where she was born and has lived almost all of her life.

  4. Dan Muroff seems to be a nice enough guy, but not living even near the district is the least of his negatives. I am told that he has been a job-jumper for years, never staying in one place for very long. He is a lobbyist. His doomed campaign for Congress against Dwight Evans was a joke. He couldn’t even bring himself to criticize one of his opponents, felon Chaka Fattah. Being a Democrat ward leader in Philadelphia doesn’t seem to be a calling card to success given the rampant corruption of Philadelphia candidates, campaigns and officeholders. He is as liberal as they come, and takes the most extreme position on firearms and most social issues. So welcome to the real world.

  5. My problem with the half dozen or so possibilities of running for Congress is the lack of a political background. Not enuf to be smart or a fundraiser, the Dems must find someone with a background in Government . School board? Local commissioner, council, even Jury commissioner. Even Chief of staff to a State Rep. but the scholars, doctors, scientists and business owners don’t get it. Spend a few years in a lesser post ,the run for Congress. It’s not a trial balloon.

  6. If the choice in the 7th comes down to Mary Ellen Balchunis, Molly Sheehan and Dan Muroff, I think that Balchunis will win the primary. While some are critical of her two previous losses to Pat Meehan,it took Bob Casey the Greater three times to win the Governorship and it took LT. Governor Stack three times to beat Hank Salvatore. Delaware County is not real big on carpetbaggers. I know that Joe Sestak won this seat with a rather tenuous connection with the district. But neither Muroff or Sheehan are former Navy Rear Admirals.

  7. Melissa Hart, it is a terrible article and incomplete. It is held by Patrick the Empty Suit Meehan, who is a Trump-Ryan rubber stamp. It is really in fact the Delco-Montco-Chestco-Berkco and Lancaster county district that Pat the Puppet hand drew to go around Reading and West Chester to avoid as many Democrats as possible.Either Mary Ellen Balchunis or Molly Sheehan would be a great improvement

  8. Hahaha! Didn’t think that she’d be so dumb to actually put her lack of residency in writing. The attack ads write themselves now.

  9. MRM- don’t be surprised if Lindy Li jumps into this too. She can do anything with magic suitcase full of dreams!

  10. Militant Republican Moderate-

    I don’t think there is any actual “when” that we will need her. However..

    She is currently living in her Parc Rittenhouse apartment in Center City Philadelphia and the 2nd Congressional district. (She even updated her voter registration to match.)

    On Thursday evening, she’s providing the venue at her apartment for a fundraiser hosted by Josh Shapiro.

  11. Ryan_in_SEPA-

    Sestak had:
    1) DC backing, including Bill Clinton rally appearance
    2) $3 million
    3) FBI raid of Weldon offices shortly before the election
    4) Unpopular Iraq War (that Sestak pretended to oppose)
    5) Much closer R vs D registration than current district
    6) Wave/Change year where Dems took over congress

  12. David Diano… we are can say plenty of terrible (and many are true) regarding Sestak, but at least he won when far better human beings who were terrible at politics crashed and burned.

    Even with gerrymandering this is a R+1 seat. If the Democrats cannot be competitive in a R+1 seat, they have other issues.

  13. Marry Ellen Balchunis is a nice person, everyone in the Dem party likes her, but she’s not a good candidate. Please stop asking her to run. If you care about her, I get it, but if you actually care about the future of the Dem party in PA 7, stop it.

  14. Don’t let these Philly clowns come into the burbs and demand a place on the ballot. Mary Ellen Balchunis is hard working, thoughtful and has the experience of two previous runs. Run Mary Ellen run!

  15. Balchunis lives in the district. She should run! She can win! Wait. I live in the district. Maybe I can win!? Nah – go with Balchunis – she’s the best!

  16. Ryan_in_SEPA-

    Sestak was always terrible candidate and human being, but was very lucky in his first win. He DID work harder, but never worked “smarter”. He burned resources and bridges in a unsustainable way.

    Given the extreme redistricting of the 7th, I doubt that even Sestak could win it back.

  17. Why do the Democrats continue to run terrible candidates in PA-6 and PA-7? Besides Joe Sestak (who won twice) and Bryan Lentz (who did not win, but was better than the rest), both seats have had terrible candidate after terrible candidate for the Democrats.

  18. “Sheehan is finishing up her fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, and is looking to move back to the district by the end of the year. She grew up and went to college in the district. ”

    Because University City is sooooo far from Haverford that she couldn’t stay in the District…

  19. Melissa Hart-

    Smart, hard-working, public servant? Is there another Pat Meehan besides the lazy dullard that we already suffer with in Congress who has repeatedly voted to take away health care?

  20. @Melissa Hart:

    1) Please tell me you are the former Congresswoman. That would make my day.

    2) Why, in a short blog post about how the two Democrats running in PA-7 live outside the district, would the author need to write about how awesome you think Pat Meehan is? What place does that have?

  21. “The law does not require a congressional candidate to live in the district where he or she runs or lives. Someone in Erie could theoretically run in Pa.”

    It may come as a surprise to some, but Erie is actually in Pennsylvania. So theoretically, someone who lives in Erie could, in fact, run to be a Pennsylvania Congressman. In fact, many, including a former Congresswoman named Kathy Dahlkemper, have done just that!

  22. What a poorly done article! It is screamingly incomplete. Among other things (and typos), there is no mention of who the incumbent is, and whether that person is running for re-election.

    It is, in fact, the Delco-Chester-Montgo-Berks District that is currently held by Republican Pat Meehan.

    By the way, he is a smart, hardworking public servant.
    No need to bother with these two.

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