Texas's 17th congressional district

"TX-17" redirects here. TX-17 may also refer to Texas State Highway 17.
Texas's 17th congressional district

Texas's 17th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Current Representative Bill Flores (R)
Distribution
  • % urban
  • % rural
Population (2015) 750,140[1]
Median income 41,989[2]
Ethnicity
Occupation
Cook PVI R+13 (2014)

Texas District 17 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves a strip of central Texas stretching from Waco to Bryan-College Station, including former President George W. Bush's McLennan County ranch.[3][4] The district is currently represented by Republican Bill Flores.

From 2002 to 2013, it was an oblong district stretching from south of Tarrant County to Grimes County in the southeast. The 2012 redistricting made its area more square, removing the northern and southeastern portions, adding areas southwest into the northern Austin suburbs and east into Freestone and Leon counties. The district includes two major colleges, Texas A&M University in College Station and Baylor University in Waco.

Before 2002, TX-17 was a West Texas district in the Abilene area.

Representation

After the 2003 Texas redistricting, engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, TX-17 was (along with MS-4) the most heavily Republican district in the nation represented by a Democrat, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, which rated it R+20.[5] The district was drawn to make it Republican-dominated and unseat its longtime then-incumbent, conservative Democrat Chet Edwards. While several of his colleagues went down to defeat, Edwards held on to the seat in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 elections.

However, in the 2010 Congressional elections, the district elected Republican Bill Flores over Edwards by a margin of 61.8% to 36.6%.[6] Flores is the only Republican elected to represent the district since its creation in 1919.

List of representatives

Representative Party Years District home Note
District created March 4, 1919
Thomas L. Blanton Democratic March 4, 1919 - March 3, 1929 Abilene Redistricted from the 16th district
Robert Q. Lee Democratic March 4, 1929 - April 18, 1930 Cisco Died
Vacant April 18, 1930 – May 20, 1930
Thomas L. Blanton Democratic May 20, 1930 - January 3, 1937 Abilene
Clyde L. Garrett Democratic January 3, 1937 - January 3, 1941 Eastland
Sam M. Russell Democratic January 3, 1941 - January 3, 1947 Stephenville
Omar Burleson Democratic January 3, 1947 - December 31, 1978 Anson Resigned
Vacant December 31, 1978 – January 3, 1979
Charles Stenholm Democratic January 3, 1979 - January 3, 2005 Abilene Lost Reelection
Chet Edwards Democratic January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2011 Waco Redistricted from the 11th district; Lost Reelection
Bill Flores Republican January 3, 2011 - Bryan Incumbent

Election results

US House election, 2012: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Bill Flores 143,284[7] 79.93 +34.8
Libertarian Ben Easton 35,978 20.07 119
Majority 107,306
Turnout 179,262 4.23
US House election, 2010: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Republican Bill Flores 106,275 61.79 +16.28
Democratic Chet Edwards 62,926 36.59 -16.39
Libertarian Richard Kelly 2,787 1.62 +0.11
Majority 43,349 25.2 +17.73
Turnout 171,988
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +16.34
US House election, 2008: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Chet Edwards 134,592 52.98 -5.14
Republican Rob Curnock 115,581 45.51 +5.21
Libertarian Gardner C. Osbourne 3,849 1.51 -0.07
Majority 19,011 7.47 -10.35
Turnout 254,022
Democratic hold Swing -5.18
US House election, 2006: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Chet Edwards 92,478 58.12 +6.92
Republican Van Taylor 64,142 40.30 -7.11
Libertarian Guillermo Acosta 2,504 1.58 +0.19
Majority 28,336 17.82 +14.03
Turnout 159,124
Democratic hold Swing +7.02
US House election, 2004: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Chet Edwards 125,309 51.20 -0.17
Republican Arlene Wohlgemuth 116,049 47.41 +0.03
Libertarian Clyde Garland 3,390 1.39 +0.14
Majority 9,260 3.79 -0.19
Turnout 244,748
Democratic hold Swing -0.1
US House election, 2002: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Charlie Stenholm 84,136 51.37
Republican Rob Beckham 77,622 47.38
Libertarian Fred Jones 2,046 1.25
Majority 6,514 3.98
Turnout 163,804
Democratic hold Swing

Historical district boundaries

2007 - 2013

See also

References

Coordinates: 31°09′13″N 96°39′57″W / 31.15361°N 96.66583°W / 31.15361; -96.66583

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