U.S. District 6 Race Has Strong Incumbent, Experienced Challenger

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Candidates for the U.S. House Pennsylvania 6th District offer life experience that informs their politics.

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-6th) is running for re-election against Republican challenger John Emmons. The race includes Independent candidate John McHugh, as well.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran who's been serving on the House Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Small Business Committee. She's held the office since 2019 and early on founded the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Congressional Caucus and the Women in STEM Caucus. She is the first woman ever to represent Pennsylvania's 6th District, which includes large parts of Chester and Berks counties.

Emmons, her Republican challenger, emphasizes his business background and his concerns for the economy and the environment.

Emmons' campaign website quotes him. "Today, the foundations of our country are being attacked and undermined by a large, distant, over-reaching federal bureaucracy and elements in our society with strong anti-American views. So, it's time to take another bold step forward. That’s why I am running for Congress."

Emmons is endorsed by the Chester County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 11.

"We all want clean air and water, and a clean environment, whether you believe in man-made climate change or not," Emmons campaign statements read.

Houlahan's online bio says she "is the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors who came to America with nothing. She grew up in a military family. Her father and grandfather flew P3s in the same Navy squadron. She earned her engineering degree from Stanford with an ROTC scholarship that launched her service in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves, and later earned her M.S. in Technology and Policy from MIT."

Emmons explains the concerns that motivated him to run for office. "In 2007, dismayed by what he saw as a lack of fiscal responsibility in Washington and a wrong direction for the country, Emmons became active in politics, fearlessly calling out both parties for their unwillingness to stand for the principles of our nation’s founding. He founded activist coalitions, served in party leadership, and volunteered for campaigns of candidates he believed in."

In June, Emmons released an ad to "end the lockdown."

Houlahan served in Teach for America as a chemistry teacher in North Philadelphia, and then led a non-profit helping underserved students across America build their literacy skills. She says these experienced formed her concerns in political life for helping everyone succeed.

Emmons grew up on a farm, his father also a factory worker, but Emmons began a career in business directly out of college. His bio says, "Recruited out of college, John Emmons started as a chemical engineer with Armstrong World Industries and rapidly rose to become a plant manager in the company, running one of the focused business units at the Armstrong facility in Lancaster. Following his career at Armstrong, he spent the next 16 years serving as director of operations for Mannington Mills in Salem, NJ. Since 2015, John has held the role of director of operations for Interface Performance Materials/Lydall based in Lancaster, Pa. In these roles John has managed hundreds of employees in multiple states and around the world, balancing budgets, meeting critical deadlines, solving problems, and continually improving outcomes."

Emmons insists that concern for the environment and a free market economy can coexist. "Look around the world and you'll see that free markets are clean markets. Free markets solve problems," his website states.

Houlahan has outraised Emmons by three times, in campaign funding. The incumbent Houlahan raised $3,189,650 but had spent only $1,091,487 of it, as of Sept. 30.

Emmons raised $563,336 as of Sept. 30 and had spent $426,889.

About 46 percent of Emmons' funding came from large individual contributions and 37 percent of his campaign funding — $207,979 — was his own money, according to Open Secrets, an independent, nonpartisan political research firm.

Houlahan received 52 percent of her campaign funding from large individual contributions, but her PAC donations were at $908,963 and she used none of her own funds.

Independent candidate John McHugh is also on the 6th District ballot. McHugh's motto, "United We Stand," expresses his stated commitment to a unity.

"My commitment is to uphold the Constitution of the United States and live by the words or the Preamble of the U. S. Constitution," McHugh said. He quotes the founding document. "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

McHugh has been served as Honey Brook Township Supervisor for the last eight years. His father was a World War II veteran, and both his parent school teachers.

McHugh spent only about $6,000 on his campaign, according to Open Secrets.

The U.S. House 6th District in Chester and Berks counties includes 734,876 persons, as of the last census.

Polling places and other information about voting in Chester County can be found here.

Chester County has 13 ballot drop-off locations, as well. A list of those locations can be found in this story.

Polling places and other information about voting in Berks County can be found here.

A Pennsylvania Dept. of State interactive map of U.S. District 6 can be viewed here.