OK, let’s assume, arguendo, that Barack Obama was born in Honolulu within the confines of the HI-01. Joe Biden was born in Scranton, PA, which lies within the PA-11 held by Democrat Paul Kanjorski. If Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta beats Kanjorski this November (which is a strong possibility), the GOP will have gained House seats in the two districts that include the birthplace of the President and VP within two years of their election.
I was wondering whether this had ever happened before, and I think that it may have occurred within 2 years of the initial election President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush.
President Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, which is in Whiteside County in the NW part of the state. Wasn’t Whiteside County in the IL-17 back in 1982? The 1982 version of the IL-17 had been numbered the IL-19 prior to 1982 and held by Republican Tom Railsback. In 1982, Democrat Lane Evans picked up the seat for the Democrats, and if the IL-17 included Tampico then it resulted in President Reagan’s birthplace seeing its Representative go from Republican to Democrat.
As for George H.W. Bush, he was born in Milton, MA. Was Milton in the old MA-10 held by Republican Margaret Heckler? If so, it too switched from GOP to Democrat in the 1982 election when Barney Frank defeated Heckler. However, I think that most likely Milton was in the old MA-11 held by Brian Donnelly (which district disappeared in 1992 and Milton was moved to the MA-09).
Reagan’s birthplace of Tampico, IL (Whiteside Co.) was in the 19th in 1980 (then held by liberal RINO Tom Railsback). It was redistricted into the 16th for 1982 and that was held by the squishy RINO Lynn Martin.
As for GHW Bush’s birthplace of Milton, MA, it was not in Peggy Heckler’s old district but was in Democrat Brian Donnelly’s 11th in both 1980 and 1982.