North Carolina's 2nd congressional district
North Carolina's 2nd congressional district is located in the central part of the state. The district contains most of Wake County. Prior to court-mandated redistricting in 2019, it also included northern Johnston County, southern Nash County, far western Wilson County, and all of Franklin and Harnett counties. The 2nd district has been represented by Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross since 2021.
North Carolina's 2nd congressional district | |||
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North Carolina's 2nd congressional district since January 3, 2021 | |||
Representative |
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Distribution |
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Population (2019) | 888,547[2] | ||
Median household income | $75,366[3] | ||
Ethnicity |
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Cook PVI | D+9[4] |
Established by the state legislature after the American Civil War, the district was known as "The Black Second;" counties included in the district were mostly majority-black in population. All four of North Carolina's Republican African-American congressmen elected in the post-Civil War era (ending with George Henry White) represented this district,[5][6] as did white yeoman farmer Curtis Hooks Brogden of Wayne County, a Republican ally of former Governor William Woods Holden.
After North Carolina Democrats regained control of the state legislature in the 1870s (using intimidation by the Red Shirts and other paramilitary groups to reduce the number of blacks voting), they passed voter registration and electoral laws that restricted voter rolls. Blacks continued to get elected to local and state offices. The state legislature passed a new constitutional amendment in 1900, which effectively disfranchised blacks altogether.[7] This ended the election of blacks to local, state or Congressional offices until after passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s, which enforced constitutional voting rights.
Thousands of blacks migrated north from the state in the Great Migration during the first half of the twentieth century, seeking job opportunities and education. By the later twentieth century, before the 1990s, the 2nd district was roughly 40% black. While it had the highest percentage of black residents of any congressional district in North Carolina, African-American candidates were unable to get elected to Congress from the majority-white district.
State redistricting following census changes led to the creation of the black-majority 1st and 12th districts and drew off some black population from the 2nd. Today the proportion of African-American residents is about 20.11% in the 2nd district.
In 2019, court-mandated redistricting shifted the district entirely into urban Wake County. Incumbent Republican representative George Holding declined to run for re-election in 2020, and Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross won election to the seat.[8]
List of members representing the district
Member | Party | Years | Cong ress |
Electoral history | District location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hugh Williamson |
Anti-Administration | March 19, 1790 – March 3, 1791 |
1st | Elected in 1790. Redistricted to the 4th district. |
1790–1791 "Edenton and New Bern division" |
Nathaniel Macon |
Anti-Administration | March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793 |
2nd | Elected in 1791. Redistricted to the 5th district. |
1791–1793 "Centre division" |
Matthew Locke | Anti-Administration | March 4, 1793 – March 3, 1795 |
3rd 4th 5th |
Elected in 1793. Re-elected in 1795. Re-elected in 1796. Lost re-election. |
1793–1803 [data unknown/missing] |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1795 – March 3, 1799 | ||||
Archibald Henderson | Federalist | March 4, 1799 – March 3, 1803 |
6th 7th |
Elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 12th district. | |
Willis Alston | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1815 |
8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th |
Redistricted from the 9th district and re-elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Re-elected in 1810. Re-elected in 1813. Retired. |
1803–1813 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1803-13)".[9] |
1813–1823 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1813-43)".[10] | |||||
Joseph H. Bryan | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1819 |
14th 15th |
Elected in 1815. Re-elected in 1817. [data unknown/missing] | |
Hutchins G. Burton |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1823 |
16th 17th 18th |
Elected in 1819. Re-elected in 1821. Resigned when elected Governor of North Carolina. | |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1823 – March 23, 1824 |
1823–1833 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1813-43)".[11] | |||
Vacant | March 24, 1824 – January 18, 1825 |
18th | |||
George Outlaw | Democratic-Republican | January 19, 1825 – March 3, 1825 |
Elected January 6, 1825 to finish Burton's term and seated January 19, 1825. Lost re-election. | ||
Willis Alston | Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1831 |
19th 20th 21st |
Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Re-elected in 1829. Retired. | |
Vacant | March 4, 1831 – May 12, 1831 |
22nd | |||
John Branch |
Jacksonian | May 12, 1831 – March 3, 1833 |
Elected to finish the vacant term. Retired. | ||
Jesse A. Bynum | Jacksonian | March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 |
23rd 24th 25th 26th |
[data unknown/missing] | 1833–1843 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1813-43)".[12] |
Democratic | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1841 | ||||
John Daniel | Democratic | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 |
27th | [data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 7th district. | |
Daniel M. Barringer | Whig | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1847 |
28th 29th |
[data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 3rd district. |
1843–1853 [data unknown/missing] |
Nathaniel Boyden |
Whig | March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849 |
30th | [data unknown/missing] Retired. | |
Joseph P. Caldwell | Whig | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1853 |
31st 32nd |
[data unknown/missing] Retired. | |
Thomas H. Ruffin |
Democratic | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1861 |
33rd 34th 35th 36th |
[data unknown/missing] | 1853–1863 [data unknown/missing] |
Vacant | March 3, 1861 – July 25, 1868 |
37th 38th 39th 40th |
Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
David Heaton |
Republican | July 25, 1868 – June 25, 1870 |
40th 41st |
[data unknown/missing] Died. |
1863–1873 [data unknown/missing] |
Vacant | June 26, 1870 – December 4, 1870 |
41st | |||
Joseph Dixon | Republican | December 5, 1870 – March 3, 1871 |
[data unknown/missing] Retired. | ||
Charles Thomas | Republican | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875 |
42nd 43rd |
[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination. | |
1873–1883 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
John A. Hyman |
Republican | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 |
44th | [data unknown/missing] Lost renomination to immediate past governor | |
Curtis H. Brogden |
Republican | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879 |
45th | [data unknown/missing] Retired. | |
William H. Kitchin | Democratic | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 |
46th | [data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
Orlando Hubbs |
Republican | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 |
47th | [data unknown/missing] Retired. | |
James E. O'Hara |
Republican | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887 |
48th 49th |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. |
1883–1893 [data unknown/missing] |
Furnifold M. Simmons |
Democratic | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889 |
50th | [data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
Henry P. Cheatham |
Republican | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1893 |
51st 52nd |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
Frederick A. Woodard |
Democratic | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 |
53rd 54th |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. |
1893–1903 [data unknown/missing] |
George H. White |
Republican | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1901 |
55th 56th |
[data unknown/missing] Retired after state passage of 1900 disfranchisement constitution, which suppressed black voters for more than 60 years | |
Claude Kitchin |
Democratic | March 4, 1901 – May 31, 1923 |
57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th |
[data unknown/missing] Died. | |
1903–1913 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1913–1933 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
Vacant | May 31, 1923 – November 5, 1923 |
68th | |||
John H. Kerr |
Democratic | November 6, 1923 – January 3, 1953 |
68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd |
Elected to finish Kitchens's term. Lost renomination. | |
1933–1943 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1943–1953 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
L. H. Fountain |
Democratic | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1983 |
83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th |
[data unknown/missing] Retired. |
1953–1963 [data unknown/missing] |
1963–1973 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1973–1983 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
Tim Valentine |
Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995 |
98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd |
[data unknown/missing] Retired. |
1983–1993 [data unknown/missing] |
1993–2003 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
David Funderburk |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
104th | [data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
Bob Etheridge |
Democratic | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011 |
105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
2003–2013 | |||||
Renee Ellmers |
Republican | January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017 |
112th 113th 114th |
[data unknown/missing] Lost renomination. | |
2013–2017 | |||||
George Holding |
Republican | January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2021 |
115th 116th |
Redistricted from the 13th district Retired after Redistricting. | |
2017–2021 | |||||
Deborah Ross |
Democratic | January 3, 2021 – Present |
117th | Elected in 2020. | |
2021-Present |
Election results
2002
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Bob Etheridge | 100,121 | 65.36 | |
Republican | Joseph L. Ellen | 50,965 | 33.27 | |
Libertarian | Gary Minter | 2,098 | 1.37 | |
Total votes | 153,184 | 100 |
2004
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Bob Etheridge | 145,079 | 62.3 | |
Republican | Billy J. Creech | 87,811 | 37.7 | |
Total votes | 232,890 | 100 |
2006
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Bob Etheridge | 85,993 | 66.53 | |
Republican | Dan Mansell | 43,271 | 33.47 | |
Total votes | 129,264 | 100 |
2008
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Bob Etheridge | 199,730 | 66.93 | |
Republican | Dan Mansell | 93,323 | 31.27 | |
Libertarian | Will Adkins | 5,377 | 1.8 | |
Total votes | 298,430 | 100 |
2010
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Renee Ellmers | 93,876 | 49.47 | |
Democratic | Bob Etheridge | 92,393 | 48.69 | |
Libertarian | Tom Rose | 3,505 | 1.85 | |
Total votes | 189,774 | 100 |
2012
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Renee Ellmers | 174,066 | 55.9 | |
Democratic | Steve Wilkins | 128,973 | 41.42 | |
Libertarian | Brian Irving | 8,358 | 2.68 | |
Total votes | 311,397 | 100 |
2014
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Renee Ellmers | 122,128 | 58.83 | |
Democratic | Clay Aiken | 85,479 | 41.17 | |
Total votes | 207,607 | 100 |
2016
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Holding | 221,485 | 56.71 | |
Democratic | John P. McNeil | 169,082 | 43.29 | |
Total votes | 390,567 | 100 |
2018
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | George Holding | 170,072 | 51.3 | |
Democratic | Linda Coleman | 151,977 | 45.8 | |
Libertarian | Jeff Matemu | 9,655 | 2.9 | |
Total votes | 331,704 | 100.0 |
2020
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Deborah K. Ross | 310,979 | 63.0 | |
Republican | Alan Swain | 172,019 | 34.8 | |
Libertarian | Jeff Matemu | 10,827 | 2.2 | |
Total votes | 493,870 | 100.0 |
See also
References
- https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/cd_state.html
- Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
- Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
- "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- "Black Americans in Congress".
- Anderson, Eric (December 1, 1980). Race and Politics in North Carolina, 1872--1901: The Black Second. LSU Press. ISBN 9780807107843 – via Google Books.
- "Disfranchisement | NCpedia". ncpedia.org.
- Murphy, Brian (December 4, 2019). "George Holding, whose district now leans Democratic, won't run vs. GOP incumbent". The News and Observer. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis". United States Congressional District Shapefiles.
- "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis". United States Congressional District Shapefiles.
- "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis". United States Congressional District Shapefiles.
- "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis". United States Congressional District Shapefiles.
- "11/05/2002 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 15, 2002. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/02/2004 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2004. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/07/2006 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 17, 2006. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 14, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 16, 2012. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 25, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "11/06/2016 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
- "District 2, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- 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