Republican Lloyd Smucker is projected to win the House race for Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District, maintaining the party’s stronghold there.
{mosads}Smucker, a two-term state senator, is expected to win a three-way race, defeating Democrat Christina Hartman and Libertarian Shawn Patrick House to replace retiring 77-year-old Republican Rep. Joe Pitts, who has held the seat since 1997.
Smucker and Hartman ran in a tight contest through the fall and maintained relatively even campaign fundraising levels.
The Republican endorsed Donald Trump and had argued that the United States should stop allowing Syrian refugees into the United States until the vetting process is further examined.
During his time in the state Senate, Smucker was an advocate for strong education policy.
Since 1967, the seat has been held by only three Republicans.
The district includes a large portion of Lancaster County, a portion of Chester County and smaller areas of of Berks County, including Reading.
All three candidates are from Lancaster County.