Washington's 5th congressional district
| Washington's 5th congressional district | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Representative | |
| Population (2000) | 654,904 |
| Median household income | 35,720 |
| Ethnicity |
|
| Cook PVI | R+6[1] |
Washington's 5th congressional district encompasses the Eastern Washington counties of Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin. It is centered on Spokane, the state's second largest city.
Since 2005, the 5th District has been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican. Rodgers's predecessor, George Nethercutt, defeated Tom Foley, then Speaker of the House, in the 1994 elections; Foley had held the seat since 1965.
In presidential elections, the 5th District was once fairly competitive, but in recent years has generally been a safe bet for the Republicans. Although George W. Bush carried the district with 57% in 2000 and 2004, John McCain just narrowly won the district with 52% of the vote, while Barack Obama received 46% in 2008. In 2012, President Obama's share of the vote dropped to 44%.
The first election in the 5th District was in 1914, won by Democrat Clarence Dill. Following the 1910 census, Washington gained two seats in the U.S. House, from three to five, but did not reapportion for the 1912 election. The two new seats were elected as statewide at-large, with each voter casting ballots for three congressional seats, their district and two at-large. After that election, the state was reapportioned to five districts for the 1914 election. The state's 6th District was added after the 1930 census and first contested in the 1932 election.
Voting
| Election results from presidential races | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results |
| 1996 | President | Clinton 44 - 43% |
| 1992 | President | Clinton 40 - 36% |
List of representatives
| Representative | Party | Years | District Home | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1915 | |||
 Clarence C. Dill
|
Democratic | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1919 | Spokane | Lost re-election attempt in 1918, elected to the U.S. Senate in 1922 and 1928 |
 J. Stanley Webster
|
Republican | March 4, 1919 – May 8, 1923 | Spokane | Resigned after being appointed judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington |
| Vacant | May 8, 1923 – September 25, 1923 | |||
| Samuel B. Hill
|
Democratic | September 25, 1923 – June 25, 1936 | Waterville[2] | Resigned after becoming member of the U.S. Board of Tax Appeals |
| Vacant | June 25, 1936 – January 3, 1937 | |||
 Charles H. Leavy
|
Democratic | January 3, 1937 – August 1, 1942 | Veradale[3] | Resigned after being appointed judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington |
| Vacant | August 1, 1942 – January 3, 1943 | |||
 Walt Horan
|
Republican | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1965 | Wenatchee | Lost re-election attempt in 1964 |
 Tom Foley
|
Democratic | January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1995 | Spokane | Lost re-election attempt in 1994, Speaker of the House from 1989 to 1995 |
 George R. Nethercutt Jr.
|
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2005 | Spokane | Lost U.S. Senate election in 2004 |
 Cathy McMorris Rodgers
|
Republican | January 3, 2005 – present | Spokane | Incumbent |
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2008
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2012
References
- ^ "Partisan Voting Index Districts of the 113th Congress: 2004 & 2008" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ^ "Hill elected to Congress". Spokane Daily Chronicle. September 26, 1923. p. 1.
- ^ Reilly, W. Newland (July 19, 1943). "Leavy returns to preside over federal court". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 3.
- 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