Texas's 4th congressional district

Last updated

Texas's 4th congressional district
Texas US Congressional District 4 (since 2021).tif
District map
Representative
  Pat Fallon
R–Frisco
Distribution
  • 51.15% rural [1]
  • 48.85% urban
Population (2022)817,813 [2]
Median household
income		$92,686 [2]
Ethnicity
Cook PVI R+16 [3]

Texas's 4th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in an area of Northeast Texas, that includes some counties along the Red River northeast of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, as well as some outer eastern suburbs of the Metroplex. Austin College in Sherman, Texas is located within the district. As of 2017, the 4th district represents 747,188 people who are predominantly white (80.8%) and middle-class (median family income is US$56,062, compared to $50,046 nationwide). [2] It is currently represented by Pat Fallon.

Contents

District

All or portions of the following counties are in the 4th congressional district since 2023: [4]

History

Texas has had at least four congressional districts since the State's senators and representatives were re-seated in Congress after the Civil War. [5] The district's current configuration is dated from 1903. It has traditionally given its congressmen very long tenures in Washington; only six men have represented it since then.

Once a reliably Democratic district, the district swung rapidly into the Republican column at the federal level as Dallas' suburbs spilled into the western portion of the district. In fact, it has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. However, as late as 1996, Bill Clinton carried ten of the sixteen counties that are currently in this district; many of those counties were in the 1st district at the time. Additionally, conservative Democrats continued to hold most of the district's local offices well into the 2000s.

For many years, it was based in Tyler, but a controversial 2003 redistricting orchestrated by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay drew it and neighboring Longview out of the 4th district and into neighboring 1st, which made it significantly more Republican. In the process, the 4th district was pushed slightly to the north, picking up Texarkana from the 1st district.

Ralph Hall, the one-time dean of the Texas congressional delegation, represented the district from 1981 to 2015. Originally a Democrat, he became a Republican in 2004. Hall's voting record had been very conservative—even by Texas Democratic standards—which served him well as the district abandoned its Democratic roots. By the turn of the century, he was the only elected Democrat above the county level in much of the district. He had been rumored as a party switcher for some time, and many experts believed he would almost certainly be succeeded by a Republican once he retired. [ citation needed ]

In 2014, Hall was defeated in the Republican primary by John Ratcliffe, who had served as the former United States Attorney for much of the 4th's territory, and was additionally the former mayor of Heath—a city coincidentally located near Hall's hometown of Rockwall. No Democrat even filed, though by this time, the district had become so heavily Republican that any Democratic candidate would have faced nearly impossible odds in any event. Underlining just how Republican this district was, the Democrats have only managed as much as 30% of the vote once since Hall's party switch.

In January 2015, Ratcliffe took office, and became only the fifth person to hold the seat. [ citation needed ] He ran unopposed for reelection in 2016, and defeated a nominal Democratic challenger in 2018. [ citation needed ]

In May 2020, Ratcliffe resigned his seat ahead of his swearing-in to become the 6th Director of National Intelligence. [6]

The district's best-known congressman was Sam Rayburn, the longtime Speaker of the House. [ citation needed ]

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in the fourth district. [ citation needed ]

After the 2012 redistricting process, a large portion of Collin County had been removed, and replaced with the portion of Cass County that had been in Texas's 1st congressional district, all of Marion County, and a large portion of Upshur County. [7]

Election results from recent presidential races

YearResult
2000 Bush 66 - 34%
2004 Bush 70 - 29%
2008 McCain 69 - 30%
2012 [8] Romney 74 - 25%
2016 [8] Trump 75 - 22%
2020 Trump 74 - 24%

List of members representing the district

NamePartyYearsCong–
ress		Electoral history
District established March 4, 1863
District inactiveMarch 4, 1863 –
March 31, 1870		 37th
38th
39th
40th
41st 		Civil War and Reconstruction
Edward Degener.jpg
Edward Degener
(San Antonio)		 Republican March 31, 1870 –
March 3, 1871		 41st Elected in 1870.
Lost renomination.
John Hancock (Texas).jpg
John Hancock
(Austin)		 Democratic March 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1875		 42nd
43rd 		Elected in 1870.
Re-elected in 1872.
Redistricted to the 5th district .
Roger Q. Mills - Brady-Handy.jpg
Roger Q. Mills
(Corsicana)		 Democratic March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1883		 44th
45th
46th
47th 		Redistricted from the at-large seat and re-elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Re-elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Redistricted to the 9th district .
D.B. Culberson.jpg
David B. Culberson
(Jefferson)		 Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1897		 48th
49th
50th
51st
52nd
53rd
54th 		Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
Retired.
John W. Cranford (Texas Congressman) 2.jpg
John W. Cranford
(Sulphur Springs)		 Democratic March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1899		 55th Elected in 1896.
Retired, then died on the last day of the term.
John Levi Sheppard.jpg
John Levi Sheppard
(Texarkana)		 Democratic March 4, 1899 –
October 11, 1902		 56th
57th 		Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Died.
VacantOctober 11, 1902 –
November 15, 1902		 57th
Sheppard morris.jpg
Morris Sheppard
(Texarkana)		 Democratic November 15, 1902 –
March 3, 1903		 Elected to finish Sheppard's term.
Redistricted to the 1st district .
Choice B. Randell.jpg
Choice B. Randell
(Sherman)		 Democratic March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1913		 58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd 		Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.
Rayburn-Sam-LOC.jpg
Sam Rayburn
(Bonham)		 Democratic March 4, 1913 –
November 16, 1961		 63rd
64th
65th
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th 		Elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Died.
VacantNovember 16, 1961 –
January 30, 1962		 87th
Ray Roberts 1979 congressional photo.jpg
Ray Roberts
(McKinney)		 Democratic January 30, 1962 –
January 3, 1981		 87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th
96th 		Elected to finish Rayburn's term.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Retired.
Ralph Hall, official photo portrait, color.jpg
Ralph Hall
(Rockwall)		 Democratic January 3, 1981 –
January 5, 2004		 97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th
111th
112th
113th 		Elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Lost renomination.
Republican January 5, 2004 –
January 3, 2015
Congressman John Lee Ratcliffe.jpg
John Ratcliffe
(Heath)		 Republican January 3, 2015 –
May 22, 2020		 114th
115th
116th 		Elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Resigned to become Director of National Intelligence. [6]
VacantMay 22, 2020 –
January 3, 2021		 116th
PatFallon.jpg
Pat Fallon
(Frisco)		 Republican January 3, 2021 –
present		 117th
118th 		Elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.

Recent elections

2004

US House election, 2004: Texas District 4 [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ralph Hall (incumbent) 182,866 68.2
Democratic Jim Nickerson 81,58530.4
Libertarian Kevin D. Anderson 3,4911.3
Total votes267,942
Republican hold

2006

US House election, 2006: Texas District 4 [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ralph Hall (incumbent) 106,495 64.43
Democratic Glenn Melancon 55,27833.34
Libertarian Kurt G. Helm 3,4962.11
Total votes165,269
Republican hold

2008

US House election, 2008: Texas District 4 [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ralph Hall (incumbent) 206,906 68.79
Democratic Glenn Melancon 88,06729.28
Libertarian Fred Annett 5,7711.91
Total votes300,744
Republican hold

2010

US House election, 2010: Texas District 4 [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ralph Hall (incumbent) 136,338 73.18
Democratic VaLinda Hathcox 40,97521.99
Libertarian Jim D. Prindle 4,7292.53
Independent Shane Shepard 4,2242.27
Total votes186,286
Republican hold

2012

US House election, 2012: Texas District 4 [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Ralph Hall (incumbent) 182,679 72.97
Democratic VaLinda Hathcox 60,21424.05
Libertarian Thomas Griffing 7,2622.90
Write-In Fred Rostek 1880.08
Total votes250,343
Republican hold

2014

US House election, 2014: Texas District 4 [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John Ratcliffe 115,085 100.00
Total votes115,085
Republican hold

2016

US House election, 2016: Texas District 4 [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John Ratcliffe (incumbent) 216,643 87.99
Libertarian Cody Wommack 29,57712.01
Total votes246,220
Republican hold

2018

US House election, 2018: Texas District 4 [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican John Ratcliffe (incumbent) 188,667 75.7
Democratic Catherine Krantz57,40023.0
Libertarian Ken Ashby3,1781.3
Total votes249,245 100.0
Republican hold

2020

US House election, 2020: Texas District 4
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Pat Fallon 253,837 75.1
Democratic Russell Foster76,32622.6
Libertarian Lou Antonelli 6,3341.9
Independent Tracy Jones (write-in)1,3060.4
Total votes337,803 100.0
Republican hold

2022

US House election, 2022: Texas District 4
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Pat Fallon (incumbent) 170,781 66.7
Democratic Iro Omere79,17930.9
Libertarian John Simmons6,0492.4
Total votes255,368 100.0
Republican hold

Historical district boundaries

2007-2013 TX04 109.gif
2007–2013
2013-2023 Texas US Congressional District 4 (since 2013).tif
2013–2023

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockwall County, Texas</span> County in Texas, United States

Rockwall County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. At 149 square miles, Rockwall County has the smallest area of any Texas county. Per the 2020 Census, its population was 107,819. Its county seat is Rockwall. The county and city are named for a wall-like subterranean rock formation that runs throughout the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Hall</span> American politician (1923–2019)

Ralph Moody Hall was an American politician who served as the United States representative for Texas's 4th congressional district from 1981 to 2015. He was first elected in 1980, and was the chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology from 2011 to 2013. He was also a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. In 2004, he switched to the Republican Party after having been a member of the Democratic Party for more than 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 5th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 5th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives is in an area that includes a northeast portion of the City of Dallas, Dallas County including Mesquite plus a number of smaller suburban, exurban and rural counties south and east of Dallas, including Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, Van Zandt, and Kaufman. As of the 2000 census, the 5th district represents 651,620 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 12th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives is in the north portion of the state of Texas. As of 2017, the 12th district contained 806,551 people and had a median income of $67,703. It consists of the western half of Tarrant County, as well as most of Parker County. The district also contains Texas Christian University. Fragments of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex are included in the district. The district is currently represented by Republican Kay Granger, who was first elected in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 13th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 13th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Texas that includes most of the Texas Panhandle, parts of Texoma and northwestern parts of North Texas. The principal cities in the district are Amarillo, Gainesville and Wichita Falls. It winds across the Panhandle into the South Plains, then runs east across the Red River Valley. Covering over 40,000 square miles (100,000 km2), it is the 19th-largest district by area in the nation, the 14th-largest that does not cover an entire state, as well as the second-largest in Texas behind the 23rd congressional district. It covers more land mass than thirteen entire states. After the 2020 census was completed, the 13th district was heavily redrawn to incorporate Denton, an increasingly Democratic-leaning suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex which had previously anchored the 26th district. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+26, it is one of the most Republican districts in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 19th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 19th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes the upper midwestern portion of the state of Texas. The district includes portions of the State from Lubbock to Abilene. The current Representative from the 19th district is Republican Jodey Arrington. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+26, it is one of the most Republican districts in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 20th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 20th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes the western half of San Antonio and Bexar County in Texas. The district is heavily Latino/Hispanic, as is the surrounding area. Charlie Gonzalez, who represented the district from 1999 to 2013 after succeeding his father, Henry B. González, did not seek re-election in the 2012 United States House of Representatives elections. State representative Joaquin Castro, the Democratic nominee to replace Gonzalez, defeated David Rosa, the Republican nominee, in the race for Texas's 20th district on November 6, 2012. His term began on January 3, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 22nd congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 22nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives covers a largely suburban southwestern portion of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The district includes most of Fort Bend County, including most of the cities of Sugar Land, Rosenberg, Needville and the county seat of Richmond as well as the county's share of the largely unincorporated Greater Katy area west of Houston. In addition, the district also contains portions of northern Brazoria County, including most of Pearland and Alvin and all of Wharton and Matagorda counties, as well as a small portion of western Harris County centered on most of that county's share of the Greater Katy area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 27th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 27th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives covers the coastal bend of Texas' Gulf Coast consisting of Corpus Christi and Victoria up to Bastrop County near Austin. Its current representative is Republican Michael Cloud. Cloud was elected to the district in a special election on June 30, 2018, to replace former Republican representative Blake Farenthold, who had resigned on April 6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 29th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 29th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives covers the eastern portion of the Greater Houston area in the state of Texas. The current Representative from the 29th district is Democrat Sylvia Garcia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 32nd congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 32nd congressional district of the United States House of Representatives serves a suburban area of northeastern Dallas County and a sliver of Collin and Denton counties. The district was created after the 2000 United States census, when Texas went from 30 seats to 32 seats. It was then modified in 2011 after the 2010 census. The current representative is Democrat Colin Allred.

Colorado's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district encompasses most of the rural Eastern Plains as well as portions of the Colorado Front Range including Loveland, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, and Parker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh and much of Allegheny County, as well as some of Westmoreland County. Since January 3, 2023, it has been represented by Summer Lee.

Missouri's 4th congressional district comprises west-central Missouri. It stretches from the northern half of Columbia to the southern and eastern suburbs of Kansas City, including a sliver of Kansas City in Cass County and parts of Blue Springs in Jackson County. It also includes the northern portion of Columbia, home to the University of Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama</span>

The 2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama were held on November 4, 2008, to determine the representation of the state of Alabama in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected served in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Texas elections</span>

Elections were held in Texas on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Primary elections were held on March 2, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas's 36th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Texas

Texas's 36th congressional district is a district that was created as a result of the 2010 census. The first candidates ran in the 2012 House elections for a seat in the 113th United States Congress. Steve Stockman won the general election, and represented the new district. On December 9, 2013, Stockman announced that he would not seek reelection in 2014, and would instead challenge incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican senatorial primary, and was succeeded in the U.S. House by Brian Babin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat Fallon</span> American businessman and politician (born 1967)

Patrick Edward Fallon is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has been the U.S. representative for Texas's 4th congressional district since 2021. Fallon was also a member of the Texas House of Representatives for the 106th district from 2013 to 2019 and represented the 30th district of the Texas Senate from 2019 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections</span> House elections for the 117th U.S. Congress

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections were held on November 3, 2020, to elect representatives from all 435 congressional districts across each of the 50 U.S. states to the 117th United States Congress, as well as six non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and the inhabited U.S. territories. Special House elections were also held on various dates throughout 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas</span> House elections in Texas

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the 36 U.S. representatives from the state of Texas, one from each of the state's 36 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections. Primaries were held on March 3 and run-offs were held on July 14.

References

  1. ↑ "TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS BY URBAN AND RURAL POPULATION AND LAND AREA". US Census Bureau . Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP). "My Congressional District". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  3. ↑ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ "District Population Analysis with County Subtotals | CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS - PLANC2193" (PDF). Capitol Data Portal. Texas Legislative Council. October 17, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Texas v, White Et. Al. 74 U.S. 700, 19 L.Ed. 227, 7 Wall. 700". December 1868.
  6. 1 2 "Divided Senate confirms Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence". May 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ "2020 Election Districts". Texas Legislature Online. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  9. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 2, 2004). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  10. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 7, 2006). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 4, 2008). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  12. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 2, 2010). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  13. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 6, 2012). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  14. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 4, 2014). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  15. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 8, 2016). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  16. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State (November 6, 2018). "Race Summary Report". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Home district of the speaker of the House
September 16, 1940 – January 3, 1947		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home district of the speaker of the House
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home district of the speaker of the House
January 3, 1955 – November 16, 1961		Succeeded by

33°18′19″N95°25′17″W / 33.30528°N 95.42139°W / 33.30528; -95.42139

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.