Matt Cartwright | |||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) Official portrait, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania | |||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tim Holden | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Rob Bresnahan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | 17th district (2013–2019) 8th district (2019–2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Matthew Alton Cartwright (1961-05-01)May 1, 1961 (age 64) Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Hamilton College (BA) University of Pennsylvania (JD) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | House website Campaign website | ||||||||||||||||||||
Matthew Alton Cartwright (born May 1, 1961) is an American lawyer and politician who served as theU.S. representative forPennsylvania's 8th congressional district from 2013 to 2025. The district includes a large swath ofnortheastern Pennsylvania, anchored byScranton,Wilkes-Barre, andthe Poconos. He is a member of theDemocratic Party. Cartwright was first elected to Congress in 2012 after defeating incumbentTim Holden in the Democratic primary.[1] As an attorney, Cartwright previously worked at the law firm of Munley, Munley, and Cartwright.
Cartwright was unseated in the2024 House elections, where he lost to first-time challengerRob Bresnahan.[2]
Cartwright was born on May 1, 1961, inErie, Pennsylvania, the son of Alton S. Cartwright and Adelaide (Igoe) Cartwright. He attendedUpper Canada College (Toronto), graduating in 1979, before earning aBachelor of Arts in history,magna cum laude, fromHamilton College in 1983,[3] where he graduatedPhi Beta Kappa.[4]
Cartwright studied law at theUniversity of Pennsylvania Law School, receiving hisJuris Doctor degree in 1986.[5] In 1981, Cartwright attended theLondon School of Economics,[6] where he met his future wife, Marion Munley. After graduating from law school, Cartwright worked as an associate in the litigation department of the Philadelphia law firm Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, practicing commercial and securities litigation. In 1988, both Munley and Cartwright joined the Munley family's law firm in the Scranton area.[7]
For 24 years, Cartwright worked as an attorney and partner at Munley, Munley and Cartwright, aScranton firm representing victims, consumers and small businesses in personal and businesslitigation.[8] He wasadmitted to the PennsylvaniaBar in 1986 and in 2005 was further admitted to the Bar ofNew York. In 2008, Cartwright was inducted into theInternational Society of Barristers.[9]
From 2009 to 2012, Cartwright served as a member of the Board of Governors of theAmerican Association for Justice.[10] Between 2005 and 2011, Cartwright was the on-air legal analyst forThe Law & You. In the segment, aired nightly as part of NBC affiliateWBRE-TV's evening newscast, he fielded viewer questions on legal matters.[11] In 2011, Cartwright co-authored the legal treatiseLitigating Commercial and Business Tort Cases published byThomson Reuters.[12]
During the1992 presidential election, Cartwright was an elected delegate forBill Clinton at theDemocratic National Convention, representingPennsylvania's 10th congressional district.[13][14] In 2001–2002, he served as District Governor forRotary International District 7410, covering northeastern Pennsylvania.[15] On November 5, 2010, theBoy Scouts of America's Northeastern Pennsylvania Council presented Cartwright with itsSilver Beaver Award for volunteer service to that organization.[16]
Pennsylvania Republicans, who controlled the redistricting process after the2010 United States census, significantly altered Holden's17th district. The old 17th had been based inHarrisburg, but the new 17th had been pushed well to the north and east. In the process, it absorbed heavily Democratic Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, previously in the 11th district.[17] The remap significantly altered the 17th's demographics. The old 17th had been anchored in traditionally Republican territory in central Pennsylvania; in much of the district, Holden was the only elected Democrat above the county level.John McCain carried it with 51 percent of the vote. In contrast, the new 17th was anchored in northeastern Pennsylvania, which had long been the most Democratic region of the state outside ofPhiladelphia andPittsburgh. Had the district existed in 2008,Barack Obama would have carried it with 56 percent of the vote.
An internal poll from Cartwright showed him up seven points against Holden, the incumbent. The new district was significantly bluer than its predecessor and was located in territory where constituents were unfamiliar with Holden. The only portion of the district that had been in the old 17th was Holden's home inSchuylkill County, Pennsylvania, with the majority of Democratic primary voters located in counties considered more favorable to Cartwright's candidacy.[18][19] During the primary, Cartwright described himself as being from "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party"—a line often employed byHoward Dean andPaul Wellstone.[20] He was supported byMoveOn.org, theLeague of Conservation Voters, and theCampaign for Primary Accountability.[21][22] Cartwright ran as a self-professed "FDR Democrat", and as an ally of PresidentObama on taxes andhealth care reform, and pledged to work with U.S. SenatorRobert P. Casey Jr., also of Scranton, on regulations for safety infracking. Cartwright also benefited in the race from endorsements from popular local public figures likeState RepresentativePhyllis Mundy and former Scranton mayor Jimmy Connors. Holden's opposition to thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act and his support of energy legislation that included theHalliburton loophole are believed to have contributed to his defeat.[23] On April 24, 2012, Cartwright defeated Holden by 57%–43%, in the primary.[24]
In the November general election, Cartwright faced Republican nurse Laureen Cummings, a leader of the ScrantonTea Party. On November 6, Cartwright defeated Cummings by 61%–39%, to become the district's next congressman.[25]
On January 4, 2013, Cartwright was selected by his peers to serve as a class president of the 49 new Democratic members of the 113th Congress.[26][27]
On November 4, 2014, Cartwright won a second term, defeating Republican challenger David Moylan, M.D., the elected Coroner of Schuylkill County, by 13.6 points.[28]
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On November 8, 2016, Cartwright won a third term, defeating Republican challenger Matthew Connolly, a businessman from Northampton County, by seven points.[29]
In the 2016 general election, PresidentDonald Trump won the 17th district by over 10% in theconcurrent presidential election. Facing an underfunded opponent, Cartwright did not run television advertisements. That year, Cartwright won re-election by only seven points, representing his lowest margin of victory.[30][31] As a result, theNational Republican Congressional Committee began to see Cartwright as potentially vulnerable, and listed him as a top target. In response, theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee included him on its "frontline" list.[32][33] Despite this, the district was rated as Likely D, meaning it was expected that Cartwright would win re-election.[34]
After theSupreme Court of Pennsylvania threw out Pennsylvania's previous congressional map, Cartwright's district was renumbered as the 8th district. It was pushed to the north and now covers the northeast corner of the state, but it also sweeps west to grab Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. In the process, it absorbed the remainder of Lackawanna County previously in the 10th district, as well as almost all of Luzerne County.
In the election, Cartwright faced a self-funding opponent who spent $1.7 million of his family's money in the race, in total outspending Cartwright by nearly $300,000, including direct expenditures of $625,778 by the NRCC.[35]
Cartwright won his fourth term by 9.3% with 54.65% of the vote without financial assistance from the DCCC.[35]
Following the general election, Cartwright was elected to House Democratic leadership, to serve as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee for the 116th Congress in theHouse Democratic Caucus elections.[36]
On November 3, 2020, despite Donald Trump again carrying his district, Cartwright won a fifth term, defeating Republican challenger Jim Bognet, the former senior vice president for communications of theExport–Import Bank of the United States,[37] by 3.6 points. In contrast, Trump won the district against Democratic challenger and Scranton nativeJoe Biden by 4.4 points during theconcurrent presidential election. At 8%, Cartwright's 2020 victory represented the largest over-performance by a Democrat in Pennsylvania compared to the presidential result, and the second largest for a Democratic win in a district Trump carried in the entire House, only behindJared Golden ofMaine.[38][39] As a result, Cartwright became one of only seven incumbent Democratic Representatives in the U.S. House to win their seats despite Trump prevailing over Biden in them.[40] He also was one of only three Democrats in the U.S. House to defend their seats successfully despite Donald Trump winning their districts twice.[39]
Following the general election, Cartwright was re-elected to House Democratic leadership, to serve as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee for the 117th Congress in the 2020 United States House of Representatives Democratic Caucus leadership elections.[citation needed]
On January 25, 2021, Cartwright was elected Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science and Related Agencies.[41]
Cartwright ran for reelection in 2022 in a rematch against Bognet. Cartwright won the election by 2.4 points.
In the lead-up to the election, the 8th District's race was seen as potentially determining whether or not theDemocratic Party would maintain control of theU.S. House of Representatives.[42][43][44] Cartwright did win his race, but Democrats ultimately lost their majority in the House.
In 2022, Cartwright appeared in advertisements praising one of his top donor's law firm in whatAxios described as "an apparent misunderstanding over video shot for the Pennsylvania Democrat's bill about water contamination at Camp Lejeune." Members of Congress are not allowed to use official resources to promote commercial activity. Cartwright sent a cease and desist letter to the law firm, which took down the ads.[45]
Outside spending on behalf of Jim Bognet in the 2020 race totalled $383,105, when Bognet lost by 3.6%.[46] In the 2022 race, outside spending amassed on behalf of Bognet reached $7,267,960, and he lost by 2.4%.[47]
Following the election, Cartwright was the only member of theCongressional Progressive Caucus from a district which voted forDonald Trump for president.[48]
The 8th District race in 2024 was considered to be a toss-up. TheDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee placed Cartwright in their "Frontline Program" due to his vulnerable incumbency status; he received extra fundraising support from the campaign committee.[49][50] Cartwright was defeated in the general election by Republican nomineeRob Bresnahan.[51][52]
Cartwright was appointed to the board of thePennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority. His term expires in 2029.[64]
Cartwright votes with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according toFiveThirtyEight analysis completed in January 2023.[65]
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Ed O'Keefe of theWashington Post wrote on November 3, 2013, that Cartwright was elected largely based on theAffordable Care Act "because the veteran moderate Democrat he challenged in a primary voted against it." According to O'Keefe, "Cartwright spent his first year in office preparing constituents for 'the ACA'."[66][67]
In May 2017, Cartwright voted against the Republican-sponsoredAmerican Health Care Act.[68] Cartwright said in January 2018 that he continued to support the Affordable Care Act.[69] Cartwright also supportsMedicare for All.[70]
In 2021, Cartwright introduced the Camp Lejeune Justice Act,[71] which became law as part of Section 706 of theHonoring our PACT Act. This created a new federal cause of action for those exposed to and injured by the toxins in the water atMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.[72] Until this became law, only exposed veterans had the possibility of compensation (as a VA disability benefit) because the federal courts cut off the right to sue under theFederal Tort Claims Act in MDL-2218.[73][74][75][76]
In July 2015, Cartwright voted against a bill that would have withdrawn funding from municipalities that declined to detain illegal immigrants forICE.[citation needed]
In June 2017, Cartwright was one of three Democrats who joined the 228–195 majority voting to cut off some particular federal grants from cities not agreeing to detentions. He voted for "Kate's Law", to increase criminal punishment forillegal immigrant recidivist violent criminals.[77] He co-sponsored legislation to protect the "Dreamers", people who entered the country illegally as children.[69] When Trump ordered a temporary limit on immigration from certain countries, Cartwright criticized the order.[69]
On May 8, 2024, Cartwright voted against the "Equal Representation Act." This proposed law would have required that when counting the population of each state to determine the number of U.S. Representatives, noncitizens who are ineligible to vote would be excluded from the count.[78]
Cartwright supportednet neutrality.[69]
Cartwright criticized the Trump tax cut, saying that it gave taxpayers little relief while adding huge sums to the national debt.[69]
On February 26, 2014, Cartwright introduced theStreamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014 (H.R. 4092; 113th Congress), a bill that would require theUnited States Department of Energy to establish a centralized clearinghouse to disseminate information on federal programs, incentives, and mechanisms for financing energy-efficient retrofits and upgrades at schools.[79][80] Cartwright argued that "the bill is a strategic and cost-saving investment to relieve the fiscal pressure felt by schools across the country while bringing us closer to energy security." Cartwright's bill passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on April 30, 2014.[81] It passed the full House of Representatives on June 23, 2014.[82] During his final term in office, Cartwright served as a Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition.[83]
During his first month in office, Cartwright co-sponsored four bills involving gun control.[84] He opposes gun-makers' legal immunity after a crime has occurred, and he opposes assault rifle sales.[84]
In 2022, Cartwright voted for H.R. 1808: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022.[85][86]
Cartwright has said, "there's no reason to discriminate against gay people".[87] He does not believe religious leaders should be mandated to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.[87]
In October 2018, Cartwright co-authored aWashington Post article proposing a pilot program to examine the effectiveness of non-transferable financial incentives such as certain student loan forgiveness being given to increase organ donation.[88]
Cartwright pushed for re-establishing a passenger rail line between Northeastern Pennsylvania andNew York City, which was last operated in the early 1970s withErie Lackawanna Railway'sPhoebe Snow Passenger Service. This restoration would use funds from theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the INVEST in America Act.[89][90]
Cartwright cosponsored a resolution to expel Georgia Republican Rep.Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress, suggesting that she "advocated violence against our peers, the Speaker and our government."[91]
In 2014, Cartwright voted against H.R. 1944: The Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2014,[92] a law that limits the use of eminent domain by state governments.[93]
On January 31, 2023, Cartwright voted against H.R.497:Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, a bill which would lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers.[94][95]
On February 1, 2023, Cartwright voted against a resolution to end COVID-19 national emergency.[96][97]
In 2013, Cartwright voted in favor of intervention and arming the Syrian Opposition againstBashar al-Assad andISIS.[98]
In 2023, Cartwright voted against H.Con.Res. 21 which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[99][100]
Cartwright voted against H. J. Res 39, which would condemn Biden's lift on tariffs pertaining to solar panels coming from China.[101][102]
In 2023, Cartwright voted against H.Con.Res. 30, which would remove American troops from Somalia.[103][104]
Cartwright has said supporting Ukraine during theRussian invasion is a "vital problem for American national security."[105] In 2023, Cartwright voted against a ban oncluster munitions toUkraine.[106][107]
Cartwright voted to provide Israel with support following2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[108][109] In 2024, Cartwright was one of 16 Democrats in the House of Representatives to vote to undo President Biden's pause on some weapons shipments to Israel amid ahumanitarian crisis in Gaza.[110][111]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright | 161,393 | 60.31 | |
| Republican | Laureen Cummings | 106,208 | 39.69 | |
| Total votes | 267,601 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (Incumbent) | 93,680 | 56.76 | |
| Republican | David Moylan | 71,371 | 43.24 | |
| Total votes | 165,051 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (Incumbent) | 157,734 | 53.80 | |
| Republican | Matt Connolly | 135,430 | 46.20 | |
| Total votes | 293,164 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (Incumbent) | 134,519 | 54.65 | |
| Republican | John Chrin | 111,640 | 45.35 | |
| Total votes | 246,159 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (Incumbent) | 178,442 | 51.77 | |
| Republican | Jim Bognet | 166,227 | 48.23 | |
| Total votes | 344,669 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (incumbent) | 146,956 | 51.22 | |
| Republican | Jim Bognet | 139,930 | 48.78 | |
| Total votes | 286,886 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rob Bresnahan Jr. | 195,663 | 50.8 | |||
| Democratic | Matt Cartwright (incumbent) | 189,411 | 49.2 | |||
| Total votes | 385,074 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||||
Cartwright married Marion K. Munley on August 10, 1985, in Archbald, Pennsylvania.[113] They live inMoosic, Pennsylvania, with their two sons.[114] Cartwright isRoman Catholic.[115]
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Media related toMatt Cartwright at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 17th congressional district 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 8th congressional district 2019–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
