North Carolina's 4th congressional district
The 4th congressional district of North Carolina is located in the central region of the state. The district includes all of Durham County, Orange County, Granville County, and Franklin County, as well as portions of Chatham County, northern Wake County, and southern Vance County.
North Carolina's 4th congressional district | |||
---|---|---|---|
North Carolina's 4th congressional district - since January 3, 2021. | |||
Representative |
| ||
Population (2019) | 873,270[1] | ||
Median household income | $75,687[2] | ||
Ethnicity | |||
Cook PVI | D+14[4] |
The district is currently represented by 11-term Congressman David Price, a former political science professor at Duke who was first elected in 1986, ousting one-term Republican incumbent Bill Cobey.[5] Price was reelected in 1988, 1990, and 1992, but he was defeated in his bid for a fifth term in 1994 by Republican Fred Heineman, the Raleigh Police Chief, in a generally bad year for Democrats in North Carolina. Price came back to defeat Heineman in a rematch in 1996, and has been reelected each time since then by large margins, usually with more than 60% of the vote. In 2020, Price received 67% of the votes (332,421 votes) to defeat Republican challenger Robert Thomas, who received 33% (161,298 votes).[6]
Before court mandated redistricting in 2016, according to research by Christopher Ingraham of the Washington Post, the district was the third most gerrymandered Congressional district in North Carolina and seventh most gerrymandered district in the United States.[7] In contrast, its predecessor was the most regularly drawn of the state's 13 districts.
History
From 2003 to 2013 it contained most of the area commonly known as The Triangle. It included all of Durham and Orange counties, part of Wake County and a small section of Chatham County. The 4th district picked up the most Republican areas of Wake County, such as Apex, Cary, and much of North Raleigh in order to help make the neighboring 13th and 2nd districts more Democratic. For instance, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the Wake County portion of the district in 2008 by 51–48%, a difference of less than 8,000 votes in between the two candidates.[8] In contrast, Obama won Wake County overall by a much greater margin of 56–43%, and Obama swept the 4th district as a whole by 63–36%. The Republican influence in the district's Wake County portion was more than canceled out by the two Democratic strongholds of Orange and Durham counties, where Obama received 72% and 76%, respectively, his two best counties in the entire state. The 4th district had a Cook PVI of D+8, which made it the most Democratic white-majority district in the entire South outside of South Florida and Northern Virginia.
The district became even more heavily Democratic as a result of 2012 redistricting, in which the more Republican areas of western and southern Wake County were removed, along with northern Orange County and most of its share of Durham County. They were replaced by heavily Democratic portions of Alamance, Cumberland, Harnett and Lee counties. Additionally, the district was pushed further into Raleigh. Like its predecessor, the district is one of the few Southern districts with a significant concentration of progressive-minded white voters—similar to areas around Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Nashville, Memphis and Austin. The presence of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University, as well as a large African-American population in Durham and Raleigh help contribute to the liberal nature of the 4th district.
Before court mandated redistricting in 2016, the district was just barely contiguous; the northern and southern portions were connected by a barely-discernible strip of land along the Lee/Harnett line. Court-mandated redistricting in 2019 again reconfigured the district, returning large portions of Durham County and removing large portions of Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina. [9]
Recent election results from presidential races
Year | Office | Results |
---|---|---|
2000 | President | Gore 52-47% |
2004 | President | Kerry 61–38% |
2008 | President | Obama 72–27% |
2012 | President | Obama 71–28% |
2016 | President | Clinton 68–27% |
Recent House elections
2002
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 132,185 | 61.18 | |
Republican | Tuan A. Nguyen | 78,095 | 36.15 | |
Libertarian | Ken Nelson | 5,766 | 2.67 | |
Total votes | 216,046 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2004
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 217,441 | 64.1 | |
Republican | Todd A. Batchelor | 121,717 | 35.88 | |
N/A | Maximilian Longley | 76 | 0.02 | |
Total votes | 339,234 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2006
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 127,340 | 64.99 | |
Republican | Steve Acuff | 68,599 | 35.01 | |
Total votes | 195,939 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2008
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 265,751 | 63.32 | |
Republican | William (B.J.) Lawson | 153,947 | 36.68 | |
Total votes | 419,698 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2010
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 155,384 | 57.16 | |
Republican | William (B.J.) Lawson | 116,448 | 42.84 | |
Total votes | 271,832 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2012
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 259,534 | 74.47 | |
Republican | Tim D'Annunzio | 88,951 | 25.53 | |
Total votes | 348,485 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2014
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 169,946 | 74.75 | |
Republican | Paul Wright | 57,416 | 25.25 | |
Total votes | 227,362 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2016
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 279,380 | 68.22 | |
Republican | Sue Googe | 130,161 | 31.78 | |
Total votes | 409,541 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2018
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 247,067 | 72.4 | |
Republican | Steve Loor | 82,052 | 24.0 | |
Libertarian | Barbara Howe | 12,284 | 3.6 | |
Total votes | 341,403 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold |
2020
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price | 332,421 | 67.3 | |
Republican | Robert Thomas | 161,298 | 32.7 | |
Total votes | 493,719 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold |
List of members representing the district
Member | Party | Years | Cong ress |
Electoral history | District location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Steele | Pro-Administration | April 19, 1790 – March 3, 1791 |
1st | Elected in 1790. Redistricted to the 1st district. |
1790–1791 "Yadkin division" |
Hugh Williamson |
Anti-Administration | March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793 |
2nd | Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1791. [data unknown/missing] |
1791–1793 "Albemarle division" |
Alexander Mebane | Anti-Administration | March 4, 1793 – July 5, 1795 |
3rd 4th |
Elected in 1793. Re-elected in 1795. Died. |
1793–1803 [data unknown/missing] |
Vacant | July 5, 1795 – December 7, 1795 |
4th | |||
Absalom Tatom | Democratic-Republican | December 7, 1795 – June 1, 1796 |
Elected to finish Mebane's term and seated December 7, 1795. Resigned. | ||
Vacant | June 1, 1796 – December 13, 1796 |
||||
William F. Strudwick | Federalist | December 13, 1796 – March 3, 1797 |
Elected November 23, 1796 to finish Tatom's term and seated December 13, 1796. Retired. | ||
Richard Stanford | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803 |
5th 6th 7th |
Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 8th district. | |
William Blackledge | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1809 |
8th 9th 10th |
Elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Lost re-election. |
1803–1813 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1803-13)".[20] |
John Stanly |
Federalist | March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1811 |
11th | Elected in 1808. Retired. | |
William Blackledge | Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813 |
12th | Re-elected in 1810. Lost re-election. | |
William Gaston |
Federalist | March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817 |
13th 14th |
Re-elected in 1813. Re-elected in 1815. Retired. |
1813–1823 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1813-43)".[21] |
Jesse Slocumb | Federalist | March 4, 1817 – December 20, 1820 |
15th 16th |
Re-elected in 1817. Re-elected in 1819. Died. | |
Vacant | December 20, 1820 – February 7, 1821 |
16th | |||
William S. Blackledge | Democratic-Republican | February 7, 1821 – March 3, 1823 |
16th 17th |
Elected in January 1821 to finish Slocumb's term and seated February 7, 1821. Re-elected later in 1821. Retired. | |
Richard D. Spaight Jr. |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 |
18th | Elected in 1823. Lost re-election. |
1823–1833 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1813-43)".[22] |
John Heritage Bryan | Anti-Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829 |
19th 20th |
Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Retired. | |
Jesse Speight |
Jacksonian | March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1837 |
21st 22nd 23rd 24th |
Elected in 1829. [data unknown/missing] | |
1833–1843 "North Carolina Congressional District Map (1813-43)".[23] | |||||
Charles B. Shepard | Whig | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 |
25th 26th |
[data unknown/missing] | |
Democratic | March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841 |
[data unknown/missing] | |||
William H. Washington | Whig | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 |
27th | [data unknown/missing] | |
Edmund Deberry | Whig | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
28th | Redistricted from the 7th district. [data unknown/missing] |
1843–1853 [data unknown/missing] |
Alfred Dockery | Whig | March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 |
29th | [data unknown/missing] | |
Augustine H. Shepperd | Whig | March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851 |
30th 31st |
[data unknown/missing] | |
James T. Morehead | Whig | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 |
32nd | [data unknown/missing] | |
Sion H. Rogers | Whig | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 |
33rd | [data unknown/missing] | 1853–1861 [data unknown/missing] |
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch |
Democratic | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 |
34th 35th 36th |
[data unknown/missing] | |
Vacant | March 3, 1861 – July 6, 1868 |
37th 38th 39th 40th |
Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
John T. Deweese |
Republican | July 6, 1868 – February 28, 1870 |
40th 41st |
[data unknown/missing] Resigned. |
1868–1873 [data unknown/missing] |
Vacant | February 28, 1870 – December 7, 1870 |
41st | |||
John Manning Jr. | Democratic | December 7, 1870 – March 3, 1871 |
[data unknown/missing] | ||
Sion H. Rogers | Democratic | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 |
42nd | [data unknown/missing] | |
William A. Smith |
Republican | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 |
43rd | [data unknown/missing] | 1873–1883 [data unknown/missing] |
Joseph J. Davis |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1881 |
44th 45th 46th |
[data unknown/missing] | |
William R. Cox |
Democratic | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 |
47th 48th 49th |
[data unknown/missing] | |
1883–1893 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
John Nichols | Independent | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889 |
50th | [data unknown/missing] | |
Benjamin H. Bunn |
Democratic | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895 |
51st 52nd 53rd |
[data unknown/missing] | |
1893–1903 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
William F. Strowd | Populist | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899 |
54th 55th |
[data unknown/missing] | |
John W. Atwater | Independent Populist | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901 |
56th | [data unknown/missing] | |
Edward W. Pou |
Democratic | March 4, 1901 – April 1, 1934 |
57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd |
[data unknown/missing] Died. | |
1903–1913 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1913–1923 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1923–1933 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1933–1943 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
Harold D. Cooley |
Democratic | July 7, 1934 – December 30, 1966 |
73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th |
[data unknown/missing] Resigned. | |
1943–1953 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1953–1963 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
1963–1973 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
Vacant | December 30, 1966 – January 3, 1967 |
89th | |||
James C. Gardner |
Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1969 |
90th | [data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 2nd district and Retired to run for Governor of North Carolina. | |
Nick Galifianakis |
Democratic | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 |
91st 92nd |
[data unknown/missing] Redistricted from the 5th district. Retired to run for U.S Senator. | |
Ike F. Andrews |
Democratic | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1985 |
93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. |
1973–1983 [data unknown/missing] |
1983–1993 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
Bill Cobey |
Republican | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987 |
99th | [data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
David Price |
Democratic | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995 |
100th 101st 102nd 103rd |
[data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
1993–2003 [data unknown/missing] | |||||
Fred Heineman |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
104th | [data unknown/missing] Lost re-election. | |
David Price |
Democratic | January 3, 1997 – Present |
105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th |
[data unknown/missing] | |
2003–2013 | |||||
2013–2017 | |||||
2017–2019 |
References
- "Preference for Racial or Ethnic Terminology". Infoplease. Retrieved February 8, 2006.
- Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- United States Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". Retrieved 8 September 2016.
- "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- "Our Campaigns - Candidate - David E. Price". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- "11/03/2020 UNOFFICIAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE". NCSBE.
- Ingraham, Christopher. "America's most gerrymandered congressional districts". Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- "north carolina hard totals". Google Docs. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- "Legislative and Congressional Redistricting". North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- "11/05/2002 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 15, 2002. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/02/2004 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2004. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/07/2006 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 17, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 14, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 16, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 25, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "District 4, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- "District 4, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- "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.
- 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