West Virginia's 3rd congressional district

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Current Representative Evan Jenkins (R)
Distribution
  • % urban
  • % rural
Population (2010) 588,817
Median income 25,630
Ethnicity
Occupation
Cook PVI R+14[1]

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district is located in the southern part of the state, it is based in the state's second largest city, Huntington and includes Bluefield, Princeton, and Beckley.

The district is currently represented by Republican Evan Jenkins.

Character

The modern district has grown in geographic size over the years, as it contains the area of the state that has lost the most population. Most of the congressmen listed below prior to the 1992 election cycle actually represented other parts of the state, as most of the modern 3rd District's history is found in the obsolete 4th, 5th, and 6th Districts. The modern 3rd District began to take shape in the 1960s. For much of its history, the 4th district had been focused on Huntington and the mill towns and farm communities north of that city along the Ohio River, while the 5th and 6th Districts were focused on the then safe democratic coal fields. In the 1970 redistricting, the 5th (which had consumed the 6th due to population loss 10 years earlier) was merged into the 4th, forming a 4th district which was composed of what is now the western half of the modern 3rd. In the 1990 redistricting the old 4th was renumbered as the 3rd and took in what is now the eastern half of its current shape from a previous version of the 2nd District.

The current major areas of the district include the industrial and university city of Huntington, the coal producing southwestern part of the state, and the more conservative farm and timber region of the southeastern part of the state. 2010 Census figures again showed a major population loss, and Mason County was transferred from the 2nd to the 3rd District. This will not change the character of the district in a significant way.

Despite the strength of Democrats at the local and state level, in presidential elections the district has followed the increasing Republican trend in West Virginia. While Bill Clinton carried the district twice in three-way races, Al Gore just narrowly won the district in 2000 with 51% of the vote. George W. Bush won the district in 2004 with 53% of the vote, and John McCain carried the district in 2008 with 55.76% of the vote.

History

The Third District as originally formed in 1863 included Kanawha, Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Cabell, Clay, Wayne, Logan, Boone, Braxton, Nicholas, Roane and McDowell counties. At that time Lincoln and Mingo counties had not yet been formed, but the territories included in both was in this district. In 1882, the district was reformed of Logan, Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh, Boone, Kanawha, Fayette, Clay, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, and Upshur counties. In 1902, Logan, Wyoming, McDowell, Raleigh, Boone and Mercer were removed. In 1916 the district was, more or less, renumbered as the new 6th District, and the 3rd was totally reconstituted as Ritchie, Doddridge, Harrison, Calhoun, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Braxton, Clay, Nicholas, and Webster counties. In 1934, Fayette was added. In 1952, Wirt was added. In 1962, the district was again totally broken up and reconstituted as Boone, Clay, Kanawha, Nicholas and Raleigh. In 1972, Raleigh was removed and Ritchie, Wirt, Gilmer, Calhoun, Mason, Jackson, Roane, Braxton, Putnam, Lincoln, and Boone were added. In 1982, Lewis was added.

The district's current configuration dates from the 1990 round of redistricting. From 1992 to 2002, it consisted of Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Webster, and Wyoming. In 2002, Nicholas was added. For the 2012 cycle, Mason was added.[2]

List of representatives

Representative Party Years Electoral history
District created December 7, 1863
Kellian Whaley Unconditional Unionist December 7, 1863 –
March 4, 1867		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Daniel Polsley Republican March 4, 1867 –
March 4, 1869		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John Witcher Republican March 4, 1869 –
March 4, 1871		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Frank Hereford Democratic March 4, 1871 –
January 31, 1877		 Resigned, having been elected to the U.S. Senate
Vacant January 31, 1877 –
March 4, 1877
John E. Kenna Democratic March 4, 1877 –
March 4, 1883		 Re-elected in 1882, but resigned, having been elected to the U.S. Senate
Vacant March 4, 1883 –
March 15, 1883
Charles P. Snyder Democratic May 15, 1883 –
March 4, 1889		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John D. Alderson Democratic March 4, 1889 –
March 4, 1895		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
James H. Huling Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 4, 1897		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Charles Dorr Republican March 4, 1897 –
March 4, 1899		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
David E. Johnston Democratic March 4, 1899 –
March 4, 1901		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Joseph H. Gaines Republican March 4, 1901 –
March 4, 1911		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Adam B. Littlepage Democratic March 4, 1911 –
March 4, 1913		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Samuel B. Avis Republican March 4, 1913 –
March 4, 1915		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Adam B. Littlepage Democratic March 4, 1915 –
March 4, 1917		 Redistricted to the 6th district
Stuart F. Reed Republican March 4, 1917 –
March 4, 1925		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John M. Wolverton Republican March 4, 1925 –
March 4, 1927		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
William S. O'Brien Democratic March 4, 1927 –
March 4, 1929		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John M. Wolverton Republican March 4, 1929 –
March 4, 1931		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Lynn Hornor Democratic March 4, 1931 –
September 23, 1933		 Died
Vacant September 23, 1933 –
November 28, 1933
Andrew Edmiston, Jr. Democratic November 28, 1933 –
January 3, 1943		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Edward G. Rohrbough Republican January 3, 1943 –
January 3, 1945		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Cleveland M. Bailey Democratic January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1947		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Edward G. Rohrbough Republican January 3, 1947 –
January 3, 1949		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Cleveland M. Bailey Democratic January 3, 1949 –
January 3, 1963		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
John M. Slack, Jr. Democratic January 3, 1963 –
March 17, 1980		 Redistricted from the 6th district
Died
Vacant March 17, 1980 –
June 30, 1980
John G. Hutchinson Democratic June 30, 1980 –
January 3, 1981		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Mick Staton Republican January 3, 1981 –
January 3, 1983		 [Data unknown/missing. You can help!]
Bob Wise Democratic January 3, 1983 –
January 3, 1993		 Redistricted to the 2nd district
Nick Rahall Democratic January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 2015		 Redistricted from the 4th district
Evan Jenkins Republican January 3, 2015 –
 Incumbent

Historical district boundaries

2003 - 2013

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Introducing the 2014 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  2. ↑ West Virginia Blue Book (pp 538, 2012 edition)

Coordinates: 37°59′28″N 81°13′06″W / 37.99111°N 81.21833°W / 37.99111; -81.21833

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