[1] On April 24, 2012, Holden was defeated in the Democratic primary in his attempt to seek re-election after the boundaries of his district were redrawn.

[1] In the 1990s, he represented Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district based in Reading and including Berks and Schuylkill counties.

In the Democratic primary, Holden defeated the Mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania, Warren Haggerty, and John Reusing 39%-32%-28%.

[3] In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee John E. Jones III, a local government solicitor, 52%-48%.

[5] Holden won re-election to a third term by defeating Republican nominee Christian Leinbach, a staffer to U.S.

The legislature considered placing Holden's home in Schuylkill County in the 11th District, a heavily Democratic area in northeastern Pennsylvania.

However, Wertz dropped out of the race before the general election citing personal reasons and Holden went on to easily win re-election with 65% of the total vote.

[13] In 2008, he faced Republican Toni Gilhooley, a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper and 25-year veteran of the force, whom he defeated with 64% of the vote (one percent less than the previous election).

Unlike other Democrats in Eastern Pennsylvania like Paul Kanjorski, Chris Carney and Patrick Murphy, Holden won re-election, and did so with a 12-point margin, defeating Argall 56% to 44%.

To make up for the loss in population, the legislature pushed the district well to the north and east, adding Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, and Easton, among other various towns in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties.

Also, the League of Conservation Voters put Tim Holden on their "Dirty Dozen" list, targeting him for supporting then-President George W. Bush's energy policy, favoring oil production, and opposing President Obama's policies including development of clean energy.

[15] In the April 24 primary, Holden was defeated by Moosic attorney Matt Cartwright, a considerably more liberal Democrat.

Holden's opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and climate-change legislation are believed to have contributed to his defeat.

While Holden voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the signature legislative domestic policy achievement of President Barack Obama, in March 2010, he did vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law by Obama, in February 2009.

While Holden voted for legislation supported by President Bush that toughened bankruptcy laws and enacted the Halliburton loophole, he voted for the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law by President Obama, in July 2010.