With a strong base in areas of industry and ethnic groups, it was once considered a very safe Democratic seat but has become more competitive in recent years.

Former longtime Democratic incumbent Paul Kanjorski faced his closest contest ever in 2008, narrowly defeating Lou Barletta, the Republican mayor of Hazleton, 138,849 to 129,358.

[5] The district was substantially redrawn by the state legislature in the course of the 2012 redistricting after the 2010 census, significantly altering the 11th.

To make up for the loss in population, the 11th was pushed into more rural and Republican-leaning territory to the north and south.

The current representative, Lloyd Smucker, belonged to the Old Order Amish at the time of his birth, but his family left the community when he was five years old.