Washington's 5th congressional district
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.
| Washington's 5th congressional district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Representative |
| ||
| Population (2000) | 654,904 | ||
| Median income | $52,214[1] | ||
| Ethnicity |
| ||
| Cook PVI | R+8[2] | ||
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 Democrat 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.
Recent results from statewide races
| Year | Office | Won District | Lost District | Winning Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | President | Clinton 40% | Bush 36% | 4% |
| 1996 | President | Clinton 44% | Dole 43% | 1% |
| 2008 | President | McCain 52% | Obama 46% | 6% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 54% | Obama 44% | 10% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 52% | Clinton 39% | 13% |
List of members representing the district
| Member (Residence) |
Party | Years | Cong ess |
Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1915 | |||
 Clarence C. Dill (Spokane) |
Democratic | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1919 |
64th 65th |
Elected in 1914. Lost re-election. |
.jpg) J. Stanley Webster (Spokane) |
Republican | March 4, 1919 – May 8, 1923 |
66th 67th 68th |
Elected in 1918. Resigned to become judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. |
| Vacant | May 8, 1923 – September 25, 1923 | |||
.jpg) Samuel B. Hill (Waterville)[3] |
Democratic | September 25, 1923 – June 25, 1936 |
68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th |
Elected to finish Dill's term. Resigned to become member of the U.S. Board of Tax Appeals. |
| Vacant | June 25, 1936 – January 3, 1937 | |||
 Charles H. Leavy (Veradale)[4] |
Democratic | January 3, 1937 – August 1, 1942 |
75th 76th 77th |
[data unknown/missing] Resigned to become judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. |
| Vacant | August 1, 1942 – January 3, 1943 | |||
 Walt Horan (Wenatchee) |
Republican | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1965 |
78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. |
 Tom Foley (Spokane) |
Democratic | January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1995 |
89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. |
 George Nethercutt (Spokane) |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2005 |
104th 105th 106th 107th 108th |
[data unknown/missing] Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
 Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Spokane) |
Republican | January 3, 2005 – present |
109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th |
Elected in 2004. |
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
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2020
References
- https://www.census.gov/mycd/?st=53&cd=05
- "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- "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.
- 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
- Washington State Redistricting Commission
- Find your new congressional district: a searchable map, Seattle Times, January 13, 2012
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Texas's 12th congressional district |
Home district of the Speaker June 6, 1989 – January 3, 1995 |
Succeeded by Georgia's 6th congressional district |