| Indiana's 7th congressional district |
|
|
| Current Representative |
|
André Carson (D–Indianapolis) |
| Area |
265 mi² (686 km²) |
| Distribution |
99.7% urban, 0.3% rural |
| Population (2000) |
675,674 |
| Median income |
$36,522 |
| Ethnicity |
63.0% White, 29.4% Black, 1.3% Asian, 4.4% Hispanic, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% other |
| Occupation |
26.2% blue collar, 57.7% white collar, 16.1% gray collar |
| Cook PVI |
D+14 |
Indiana's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in the heart of the state, the district encompasses most of Marion County and Indianapolis.
The district is currently represented by Democrat André Carson who won a special election in 2008 to succeed his grandmother Julia Carson following her death in 2007.
The district is one of only two congressional districts to be represented by a Muslim in the United States (the other being Keith Ellison of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, based in Minneapolis.
[edit] Characteristics
Prior to the 2002 redistricting, the district referred to a completely different area of Indiana, covering Fountain, Parke, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Clinton, Boone, Hendricks, Vigo, Clay, Putnam, and Owen counties and parts of Morgan and Hamilton counties. The current area of the 7th Congressional District is largely the same as the now eliminated 10th Congressional District (including all of Center Township, now widely regarded as a Democratic stronghold due to its large African American population and gentrified middle class.)
Traditionally, the city and the district has been more competitive and much more Republican; in fact, one of the most Republican metropolitan areas in the country, particularly during the years when Richard Lugar and William H. Hudnut III served as Mayor of Indianapolis. However, in recent decades, much of the affluence of the city has begun to migrate to the edges of the city and outer Marion County, which has resulted in the Democratic lean. The northern edge of Marion county - an affluent, strongly conservative area - is not included in the district.
The southern and eastern parts of the district include the more modest neighborhoods of the city, which is home to Amtrak's largest repair yard. Since the late 1990s, there has been an influx of Mexican and Hispanic workers to the district, which has further increased its Democratic leanings. Also, as the industrial and financial center of Indiana, the district has been strongly influenced by the politics of the unions in the past; however, their influence over the district has become increasingly marginal in recent years.
In recent presidential contests, the district itself has given comfortable margins to Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry and Barack Obama in recent years. Most recently in 2008, Barack Obama won 71% of the vote in the 7th Congressional District.
[edit] Redistricting
After the loss of a congressional seat in 2000 by virtue of that year's census, an ambitious redistricting plan was embarked upon, which was eventually implemented in 2002. The overall character of the district prior to this was solidly Republican and rural; however, since 2002, the previous area of the 7th Congressional District has been divided between the 4th Congressional District and the 8th Congressional District.
[edit] List of representatives
The two different locations of the 7th district since 1982.
| Representative |
Party |
Years |
District home |
Notes |
| District created March 4, 1833 |
| Edward A. Hannegan |
Jacksonian |
March 4, 1833 - March 3, 1837 |
|
|
| Albert S. White |
Whig |
March 4, 1837 - March 3, 1839 |
|
|
| Vacant |
March 3, 1839 - August 5, 1839 |
| Tilghman A. Howard |
Democratic |
August 5, 1839 - July 1, 1840 |
|
|
| Vacant |
July 1, 1840 - August 3, 1840 |
| Henry S. Lane |
Whig |
August 3, 1840 - March 3, 1843 |
|
|
| Joseph A. Wright |
Democratic |
March 4, 1843 - March 3, 1845 |
|
|
| Edward W. McGaughey |
Whig |
March 4, 1845 - March 3, 1847 |
|
|
| Richard W. Thompson |
Whig |
March 4, 1847 - March 3, 1849 |
|
|
| Edward W. McGaughey |
Whig |
March 4, 1849 - March 3, 1851 |
|
|
| John G. Davis |
Democratic |
March 4, 1851 - March 3, 1855 |
|
|
| Harvey D. Scott |
Opposition |
March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1857 |
|
|
| John G. Davis |
Anti-Lecompton Democrat |
March 4, 1857 - March 3, 1861 |
|
|
| Daniel W. Voorhees |
Democratic |
March 4, 1861 - February 23, 1866 |
|
Lost contested election |
| Henry D. Washburn |
Republican |
February 23, 1866 - March 3, 1869 |
|
Won contested election |
| Godlove S. Orth |
Republican |
March 4, 1869 - March 3, 1871 |
|
Redistricted from the 8th district |
| Mahlon D. Manson |
Democratic |
March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1873 |
|
|
| Thomas J. Cason |
Republican |
March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1875 |
|
Redistricted to the 9th district |
| Franklin Landers |
Democratic |
March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1877 |
|
|
| John Hanna |
Republican |
March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1879 |
|
|
| Gilbert De La Matyr |
Greenback |
March 4, 1879 - March 3, 1881 |
|
|
| Stanton J. Peelle |
Republican |
March 4, 1881 - May 22, 1884 |
|
Lost contested election |
| William E. English |
Democratic |
May 22, 1884 - March 3, 1885 |
|
Won contested election |
| William D. Bynum |
Democratic |
March 4, 1885 - March 3, 1895 |
|
|
| Charles L. Henry |
Republican |
March 4, 1895 - March 3, 1897 |
|
Redistricted to the 8th district |
| Jesse Overstreet |
Republican |
March 4, 1897 - March 3, 1909 |
|
Redistricted from the 5th district |
| Charles A. Korbly |
Democratic |
March 4, 1909 - March 3, 1915 |
|
|
| Merrill Moores |
Republican |
March 4, 1915 - March 3, 1925 |
|
|
| Ralph E. Updike |
Republican |
March 4, 1925 - March 3, 1929 |
|
|
| Louis Ludlow |
Democratic |
March 4, 1929 - March 3, 1933 |
|
Redistricted to the 12th district |
| Arthur H. Greenwood |
Democratic |
March 3, 1933 - January 3, 1939 |
|
|
| Gerald W. Landis |
Republican |
January 3, 1939 - January 3, 1949 |
|
|
| James E. Noland |
Democratic |
January 3, 1949 - January 3, 1951 |
|
|
| William G. Bray |
Republican |
January 3, 1951 - January 3, 1967 |
|
Redistricted to the 6th district |
| John T. Myers |
Republican |
January 3, 1967 - January 3, 1997 |
|
|
| Edward A. Pease |
Republican |
January 3, 1997 - January 3, 2001 |
|
|
| Brian D. Kerns |
Republican |
January 3, 2001 - January 3, 2003 |
|
|
| Julia Carson |
Democratic |
January 3, 2003 - December 15, 2007 |
|
Redistricted from the 10th district, Died |
| Vacant |
December 15, 2007 - March 11, 2008 |
|
| André Carson |
Democratic |
March 11, 2008 - Present |
|
Incumbent |
[edit] Election Results
| Indiana's 7th Congressional District Election (2006) |
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
Percentage |
|
Democratic |
Julia Carson* |
74,750 |
53.76% |
|
Republican |
Eric Dickerson |
64,304 |
46.24% |
| Totals |
139,054 |
100.00% |
| Voter turnout |
% |
|
Democratic hold |
| Indiana's 7th Congressional District Special Election (March 11, 2008) |
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
Percentage |
|
Democratic |
André Carson |
45,668 |
54.04% |
|
Republican |
Jonathan Elrod |
36,415 |
43.09% |
|
Libertarian |
Sean Sheppard |
2,430 |
2.88% |
| Totals |
84,513 |
100.00% |
| Voter turnout |
% |
|
Democratic hold |
| Indiana's 7th Congressional District General Election (2008) |
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
Percentage |
|
Democratic |
André Carson* |
172,650 |
65.08% |
|
Republican |
Gabrielle Campo |
92,645 |
34.92% |
| Totals |
265,295 |
100.00% |
| Voter turnout |
% |
|
Democratic hold |
[edit] References
[edit] See also
