Alabama's 8th congressional district

"AL 8" redirects here. For Alabama State Route 8, see U.S. Route 80 in Alabama.

Alabama's 8th congressional district
Obsolete district
Population (1960)	383,625
Created	1870
Eliminated	1970
Years active	1873-1973

Alabama's 8th congressional district, now obsolete, was established in 1877.

At present, Alabama has seven congressional districts represented in the United States House of Representatives. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Alabama was apportioned eight congressional seats as a result of the 1880 census. In 1893-1913 there were nine seats, and in 1913-1933 there were ten seats, the maximum ever for Alabama. In 1970, Alabama lost its eighth seat when population could no longer support more than seven seats.

Notable representation

A diagrammatic history of the Alabama House Delegation

Among the men who represented the District in the House was former Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Wheeler of Courtland, Alabama. Born in 1836 in Georgia, Wheeler had previously served in the United States Army but resigned to support the Confederate States of America. Wheeler led the 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment into battle at the Battle of Shiloh in the American Civil War. Wheeler was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1880 as a Democrat but was ousted after a lengthy election contest by Greenback Party candidate William M. Lowe. Lowe died after only four months in office and was succeeded by Wheeler in a special election. Wheeler did not run in 1882 but was reelected in 1884 and served seven consecutive terms before resigning in 1900.

John Sparkman served as the 8th district representative from 1937-1946. On the same day he was elected in 1946, Sparkman was also elected, in a special election, to fill the United States Senate seat of John H. Bankhead II who had died in office. Sparkman immediately resigned the House to accept the Senate seat. [Note: In 1952 Sparkman was chosen as the vice presidential running mate of the unsuccessful Democratic candidate Adlai Ewing Stevenson II.] Sparkman previously had served as Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives in 1946.

The District was lost due to reapportionment at the end of the 92nd United States Congress in 1973. Robert E. Jones, Jr. was the district's last representative.

List of representatives

Years	Representative	Party	Congress	Electoral history
William W. Garth	Democratic	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879	45	[data missing]
William M. Lowe	Greenback	March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881	46	[data missing]
Joseph Wheeler	Democratic	March 4, 1881 – June 3, 1882	47	Lost contested election
William M. Lowe	Greenback	June 3, 1882 – October 12, 1882		Won contested election Died
Vacant		October 12, 1882 – January 15, 1883
Joseph Wheeler	Democratic	January 15, 1883 – March 3, 1883		[data missing]
Luke Pryor	Democratic	March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885	48
Joseph Wheeler	Democratic	March 4, 1885 – April 20, 1900	49	Resigned
			50
			51
			52
			53
			54
			55
			56
Vacant		April 20, 1900 – August 6, 1900	56 (continued)
William N. Richardson	Democratic	August 6, 1900 – March 31, 1914	56 (continued)	Died
			57
			58
			59
			60
			61
			62
			63
Vacant		March 31, 1914 – May 11, 1914	63 (continued)
Christopher C. Harris	Democratic	May 11, 1914 – March 3, 1915	63 (continued)	[data missing]
Edward B. Almon	Democratic	March 4, 1915 – June 22, 1933	64	Died
			65
			66
			67
			68
			69
			70
			71
			72
Vacant		June 22, 1933 – November 14, 1933	72 (continued)
Archibald H. Carmichael	Democratic	November 14, 1933 – January 3, 1937	72 (continued)	[data missing]
			73
			74
John Sparkman	Democratic	January 3, 1937 – November 5, 1946	75	Resigned after being elected to the U.S. Senate
			76
			77
			78
			79
Vacant		November 5, 1946 – January 28, 1947	79 (continued)
Robert E. Jones, Jr.	Democratic	January 28, 1947 – January 3, 1963	79 (continued)	Redistricted to the At-large district
			80
			81
			82
			83
			84
			85
			86
			87
District inactive, all representatives elected at large		January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965	88
Robert E. Jones, Jr.	Democratic	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1973	89	Redistricted from the At-large district Redistricted to the 5th district
			90
			91
			92
District inactive		January 3, 1973 – Present

Historic boundaries

The district was elected at-large from the entire state until the 45th Congress, when it was established as a separate district in the northwestern part of the state. The district occupies an area now held by Alabama's 5th congressional district, with the exception of a portion of Morgan County, which is part of the 4th district. Franklin County, which was part of the 8th district until after the 1890 Census, is also part of the modern 4th district.

Census Year	Population	Counties
1870	130,173	Colbert, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan
1880	168,502
1890	176,088	Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Morgan
1900	194,491
1910	218,342
1920	254,529
1930	282,241
1940	300,112
1950	321,459
1960	383,625

References

• Population data from U.S. Census Bureau: Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990
• 1880 and 1870 Census data from U.S. Census Bureau: Compendium of the Tenth Census, Volume 1. (1883)
• Additional population data and counties from the Official Congressional Directories of the 45th Congress (1878); 48th Congress (1883); 53rd Congress (1893); 58th Congress (1903); 81st Congress (1950); 83rd Congress (1953); and 89th Congress (1965).
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present