POLITICS | Meet the leaders of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia

The 2008 election may be over, but Pennsylvania is still the site of many interesting developments in the world of politics.

Here's a rundown of political leaders in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania:

Gov. Ed Rendell (D) - Rendell, a Penn alum and former Philadelphia mayor, has been the state's governor since 2002, winning reelection in 2006.

Rendell became the head of the National Governors Association last summer and said

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D) - In a close and highly publicized race, Casey became a senator in 2006, defeating incumbent Rick Santorum with 58 percent of the vote.

Casey was previously the auditor general and state treasurer.

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (D) - Specter, first elected in 1980, is the longest-serving senator in Pennsylvania history. He first ran as a Republican and was associated with the party until last April, when he switched to the Democratic Party.

Mayor Michael Nutter (D) - Nutter became mayor in November 2007 in a landslide victory over Republican challenger Al Taubenberger.

Nutter's key initiatives as mayor have included lowering crime rates, seeking a new location for casinos proposed along the Delaware riverfront and continuing to reform the city's Department of Human Services.

Nutter is a Penn alum and a former city councilman.

U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D- 2nd Dist.) - Fattah, a Philadelphia native, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1995. He is an alum of Wharton and the Fels Institute of Government.

Fattah's congressional district includes parts of North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township. Fattah ran for mayor in 2007, coming in fourth in the Democratic primary.

Councilwoman Janie Blackwell (D) - Blackwell's third district includes Penn. She is the chairwoman of the Education and Housing and Homeless committees.

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