state house districtPennsylvania 159th State House District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004D+48.4
2008D+52.9
2012D+54.1
2016D+43.7
2020D+40.7
2024D+36.7
net swing · 2004→2024R+11.7D+48.4 → D+36.7
vs. U.S. · 2024D+38.2D+36.7 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 58.7% of 47,284 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
18,856
8,667
254
27,777
47,284
58.7%
2020
19,700
8,233
242
28,175
45,938†
61.3%
2016
19,475
7,433
673
27,581
45,490†
60.6%
2012
22,628
6,643
302
29,573
44,823†
66.0%
2008
22,271
6,745
317
29,333
44,479†
65.9%
2004
20,250
6,989
152
27,391
44,136†
62.1%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupPA HD 159PennsylvaniaUnited States
African American†36.6%8.7%9.9%
African2.3%0.4%0.5%
Liberian1.9%——
Jamaican1.5%0.3%0.4%
Haitian1.0%0.2%0.3%
Nigerian0.6%—0.2%
Sierra Leonean0.6%——
Ghanaian0.4%——
Irish14.8%14.8%9.4%
Italian9.6%10.6%4.8%
German7.8%21.6%12.5%
English5.1%8.3%9.5%
Polish2.3%5.4%2.2%
American1.8%4.4%5.3%
Scottish0.9%1.1%1.3%
French0.7%—1.6%
Puerto Rican2.8%3.7%1.8%
Mexican1.6%1.4%11.3%
Ecuadorian0.9%——
Honduran0.5%—0.3%
Cuban0.4%0.2%0.7%
Dominican0.4%1.4%0.7%
Colombian0.4%0.2%0.4%
Asian Indian0.5%1.2%1.4%
Chinese0.4%0.9%1.3%
Vietnamese0.2%0.3%0.6%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
PA HD 159
Pennsylvania
United States
Median age
36.5
41.2
39.1
Age 18–24
9.8%
8.9%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
17.5%
19.5%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
PA HD 159
Pennsylvania
United States
Median household income
$56,692
$77,971
$84,427
Poverty rate
19.9%
11.7%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
41.9%
35.2%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
PA HD 159
Pennsylvania
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
13.5%
12.4%
22.3%
Spanish
3.0%
5.6%
13.6%
Other Indo-European
2.9%
1.7%
2.0%
Chinese (incl. Mandarin & Cantonese)
1.4%
0.8%
1.1%
Other languages
1.4%
0.5%
0.8%
Religious landscape
Measure
PA HD 159
Pennsylvania
United States
Catholic
—
21.9%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
9.3%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
53.1%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Pennsylvania 159th State House District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
+48.4%
2008
+52.9%
2012
+54.1%
2016
+43.7%
2020
+40.7%
2024
+36.7%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
67.9%Harris18,856
31.2%Trump8,667
0.9%
D+36.7
R+4.0
D+38.2
27,777
D
69.9%Biden19,700
29.2%Trump8,233
0.9%
D+40.7
R+3.0
D+36.2
28,175
D
70.6%Clinton19,475
26.9%Trump7,433
2.4%
D+43.7
R+10.4
D+41.6
27,581
D
76.5%Obama22,628
22.5%Romney6,643
1.0%
D+54.1
D+1.1
D+50.2
29,573
D
75.9%Obama22,271
23.0%McCain6,745
1.1%
D+52.9
D+4.5
D+45.7
29,333
D
73.9%Kerry20,250
25.5%Bush6,989
0.6%
D+48.4
—
D+50.9
27,391
current representation
Current officeholders
DCarol KazeemState House · 159
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of D+36.7, this Philadelphia-area district ranks among the most reliably Democratic constituencies in the state legislature, reflecting the dense urban geography and demographics that characterize its electorate.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 54.1 points in 2012. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 4.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 36.7 points.
A population of 62,138, a 40% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $56,692 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State House District 19 and State House District 20.
Akashic
Political twins — state-house districts
The state-house districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Pennsylvania 159th State House District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-lower/42159/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Pennsylvania 159th State House District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Pennsylvania 159th State House District voted Democratic by 36.7 points (D+36.7), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 27,777 votes cast, 18,856 went Democratic and 8,667 went Republican.
How many people live in Pennsylvania 159th State House District?
Pennsylvania 159th State House District has a population of 62,138 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Pennsylvania 159th State House District?
Median household income in Pennsylvania 159th State House District is $56,692 — below the national median of $80,734. The Pennsylvania state median is $77,971.
What is the political history of Pennsylvania 159th State House District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Pennsylvania 159th State House District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 0 went Republican.
