U.S. Representative Tim Holden of Schuylkill County, one of the most powerful people in Congress, lost in the primary election Tuesday night.
Some are shocked by the loss.
Holden admitted defeat on election night to attorney Matt Cartwright of Lackawanna County.
Holden's district was made bigger and Democratic Senator John Yudichak said that may have helped defeat the man from Schuylkill County who served for more than 20 years.
"Redistricting is a big part of that and I think people in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties looked at geography and I think Matt Cartwright is a good guy. I wish him well and I will work side by side with him," Yudichak said.
At the Tamaqua Diner, Holden's loss was the topic of discussion. Mary Reed agreed with Senator Yudichak's assessment of a reason for Holden's loss.
"That probably had a lot to do with it and maybe other people didn't know very well from far away. I thought he probably would make it. It was a shock. He did a lot for the people in this area," Reed said.
Newswatch 16 couldn't find Congressman Holden the day after his defeat, but there was plenty of reaction to the loss. Just ask Mary Porambo and her friend Jean Everett.
"I thought 'oh, my God!' I didn't think he would loose. That's what I said and to think all these years that he worked," Everett said.
"He shouldn't have lost because he's a good guy and he did a lot of good things," May Porambo added.
The only way Congressman Holden could run in the November election would be through a write-in campaign. Some people wish he would.