State Rep. Liz Hanbidge will attempt to win a fifth term in office this midterm election, riding a streak of increasingly large victories for Democrats in the area.
The lawyer and local children's advocate is challenged by Republican small business owner Angela Illingworth.
Liz Hanbidge
Age: 44
Hometown: Blue Bell
Education: Foxcroft School (2000), University of Pennsylvania BA (2004), University of Oxford MS (2005), Harvard University M.Ed. (2006), University of Wisconsin JD (2008).
Previous employment: attorney and advocate of vulnerable children
Angela Illingworth
Age: 67
Hometown: Towamencin
Education: Not listed
Previous employment: small business owner, office manager, volunteer missionary
Past results
Like many other nearby state legislative seats in suburban Montgomery and Chester counties, the 61st has progressed from a longtime safely Republican district to an increasingly blue Democratic stronghold.
And like so many of those other districts, Rep. Hanbidge came into power on the "blue wave" of 2018.
Below is a glance at the increasing margin in favor of Democrats in this district since 2018, despite big Republican wins statewide in 2024 and other years.
From 2,400 to 7,100, 8,300, and almost 9,000 last year.
And just like other districts, the electoral behavior of the 61st has not changed in a bubble. Changing demographics, new development, and increasing population have brought a more left-leaning suburban population to the region.
Before the 2018 shift, Rep. Harper had held the seat for the GOP for 18 years.
The district
The 61st includes Lower Gwynedd, North Wales, Towamencin, Upper Gwynedd, and parts of Whitpain.
The population of the 61st is 63,924, according to the latest census data.
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