Massachusetts's 8th congressional district

Massachusetts's 8th congressional district
Current Representative		Mike Capuano (D–Somerville)
Area	40.72 mi²
Distribution	97.34% urban, 2.66% rural
Population (2000)	634,835
Median income	$42,246
Ethnicity	48.9% White, 23.2% Black, 8.2% Asian, 15.9% Hispanic, 0.4% Native American, 3.4% other
Occupation	12.4% blue collar, 70.6% white collar, 17.0% gray collar
Cook PVI	D+32

Massachusetts's 8th congressional district is in eastern Massachusetts, including part of Boston and the immediately adjacent cities of Cambridge, Somerville, and Chelsea. With an area of just 40.72 square miles (105.5 km²), it is the smallest by area of Massachusetts's ten congressional districts. It is currently represented by Mike Capuano, who has served the district since January 1999. For one congressional term (1791-1793) it served as the home district of the District of Maine.

Current cities and towns in the district

The District currently contains the following cities and towns:

In Middlesex County:

Cambridge, Somerville.

In Suffolk County:

Boston, Wards 1, 2, Ward 3, Precincts 1-4, 7, 8, Ward 4, Ward 5, Precincts 1, 2, 6-10, Ward 7, Precinct 10, Wards 8-12, Ward 13, Precincts 1, 2, 4-6, Ward 14, Ward 15, Precincts 1-5, 7-9, Ward 16, Precincts 1, 3, Ward 17, Precincts 1-3, 5-12; Ward 18, Precincts 1-8, 13-15, 21, Ward 19, Precincts 1, 3-6, 8, 9, Wards 21 and 22, (the remainder of Boston is in the 9th district), Chelsea.

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	District home	Note
Jonathan Grout	Anti-Administration	March 4, 1789 – March 4, 1791
George Thatcher	Pro-Administration	March 4, 1791 – March 4, 1793	Biddeford, Maine	Redistricted from the 6th district Redistricted to the 4th district
District eliminated		1793
District restored		1795
Fisher Ames	Federalist	March 4, 1795 – March 4, 1797	Dedham	Redistricted from the 1st district
Harrison Gray Otis	Federalist	March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801	Boston
William Eustis	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1803		Redistricted to the 1st district
Lemuel Williams	Federalist	March 4, 1803 – March 4, 1805	New Bedford	Redistricted from the 5th district
Isaiah L. Green	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1805 – March 4, 1809
Gideon Gardner	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1811
Isaiah L. Green	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1811 – March 4, 1813
John Reed, Jr.	Federalist	March 4, 1813 – March 4, 1815	West Bridgewater	Redistricted to the 9th district
William Baylies	Federalist	March 4, 1815 – March 4, 1817		Redistricted from the 7th district
Zabdiel Sampson	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 – July 26, 1820		Resigned on appointment as collector of customs in Plymouth
Vacant		July 26, 1820 – November 24, 1820
Aaron Hobart	Democratic-Republican	November 24, 1820 – March 4, 1823		Redistricted to the 11th district
Samuel Lathrop	Adams-Clay Federalist	March 4, 1823 – March 4, 1825		Redistricted from the 5th district
	Adams	March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1827
Isaac C. Bates	Adams	March 4, 1827 – March 4, 1829	Northampton
	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1835
William B. Calhoun	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1835 – March 4, 1837
	Whig	March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1843
John Quincy Adams	Whig	March 4, 1843 – February 23, 1848		Redistricted from the 12th district Died
Vacant		February 24, 1848 – April 2, 1848
Horace Mann	Whig	April 3, 1848 – March 4, 1853
Tappan Wentworth	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1855
Chauncey L. Knapp	Know-nothing	March 4, 1855 – March 4, 1857
	Republican	March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1859
Charles R. Train	Republican	March 4, 1859 – March 4, 1863
John D. Baldwin	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 4, 1869
George F. Hoar	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1873		Redistricted to the 9th district
John M. S. Williams	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 4, 1875
William W. Warren	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – March 4, 1877
William Claflin	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881
John W. Candler	Republican	March 4, 1881 – March 4, 1883
William A. Russell	Republican	March 4, 1883 – March 4, 1885		Redistricted from the 7th district
Charles H. Allen	Republican	March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889	Lowell	Retired
Frederic T. Greenhalge	Republican	March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1891
Moses T. Stevens	Democratic	March 4, 1891 – March 4, 1893		Redistricted to the 5th district
Samuel W. McCall	Republican	March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1913	Winchester
Frederick Simpson Deitrick	Democratic	March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1915	Cambridge
Frederick W. Dallinger	Republican	March 4, 1915 – March 4, 1925	Cambridge
Harry I. Thayer	Republican	March 4, 1925 – March 10, 1926	Wakefield	Died
Vacant		March 10, 1926 – November 2, 1926
Frederick W. Dallinger	Republican	November 2, 1926 – October 1, 1932	Cambridge	Resigned after appointment as judge of United States Customs Court
Vacant		October 1, 1932 – March 4, 1933
Arthur D. Healey	Democratic	March 4, 1933 – August 3, 1942	Somerville	Resigned after appointment as judge of US District Court for Massachusetts
Vacant		August 3, 1942 – January 3, 1943
Angier L. Goodwin	Republican	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1955	Melrose	Lost reelection
Torbert H. Macdonald	Democratic	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1963	Malden	Redistricted to 7th district
Tip O'Neill	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1987	Cambridge	Redistricted from the 11th district, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977-1987 Retired
Joseph P. Kennedy II	Democratic	January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1999	Brighton	Retired
Michael Capuano	Democratic	January 3, 1999 – Present	Somerville	Incumbent

Recent election results

2006 general election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mike Capuano	125,167	91
	Socialist Workers	Laura Garza	12,390	9
Majority			112,777	82
Turnout			137,557
	Democratic hold		Swing

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

Maps

• Map of Massachusetts's 8th Congressional District, via Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth

Election results

• CNN.com 2004 election results
• CNN.com 2006 election results