- Mississippi's 4th congressional district
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"MS-4" redirects here. MS-4 may also refer to Mississippi Highway 4.
Mississippi's 4th congressional district Map for 109th Congress
Current Representative Steven Palazzo (R–Biloxi) Area 9,536 mi² (24,698 km²) Distribution 53.72% urban, 46.28% rural Population (2000) 711,219 Median income $33,023 Ethnicity 75.3% White, 22.6% Black, 1.5% Asian, 1.8% Hispanic, .8% Native American, 1% other Occupation 30.6% blue collar, 51.9% white collar, 18.4% gray collar Cook PVI R+20 Mississippi's 4th congressional district covers the southeastern region of the state. The people of the Mississippi's 4th are currently represented by Republican Steven Palazzo. During the 111th Congress, MS-4, along with TX-17, was the most Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat[1], with a Cook PVI of R+20. However, on November 2nd, 2010, the Democratic incumbents of both districts were defeated by their respective Republican challengers. State Representative Steven Palazzo defeated Rep. Gene Taylor by a 5% vote differential[2].
From statehood to the election of 1846, Mississippi elected representatives at-large statewide on a general ticket.
Contents
Cities
Three of Mississippi's four most heavily populated cities, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg are in the Fourth District. Other major cities within the district include Bay St. Louis, Laurel, and Pascagoula.
Counties
The entire counties of Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, George, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, Wayne, and Clarke, most of the county of Jones, and parts of both Jasper and Marion counties are counted in this district.
Federal highways
Interstate 59 is an important north-south route that traverses the district, while coastal Interstate 10 serves as the major east-west route.
Boundaries
Prior to 2004 the district included most of Jackson, all of Natchez and the south western part of the state. In 2004, following redistricting, it was then heavily altered due to the loss of one seat in the state and largely replaced the former fifth district. [3]
The perimeter of the current Fourth District extends across the ninety mile coastal southern edge of Mississippi from the Louisiana border to the Alabama border, following the Alabama state line north along the eastern border of the state to the northern boundaries of Clarke and Jasper counties, with its western limit then gerrymandering southwest alongside the 3rd District, through Jasper county and the northeast corner of Jones county, then following the east Jones, and north Forrest and Lamar county lines mostly until it cuts across southwest into Marion to include Columbia, south of which the western district boundary is defined more or less by the Pearl River winding to its outlet in Lake Borgne.
History
The Fourth District, like most of Mississippi, is built on a strong history of agriculture.
List of representatives
Representative Took Office Left Office Party District Home Notes Congress District created March 4, 1847 Albert G. Brown March 4, 1847 March 3, 1853 Democratic 30th - 32nd Wiley Pope Harris March 4, 1853 March 3, 1855 Democratic 33rd William Augustus Lake March 4, 1855 March 3, 1857 Know Nothing 34th Otho Robards Singleton March 4, 1857 January 12, 1861 Democratic Withdrew 35th - 36th Civil War and Reconstruction 36th - 41st George Colin McKee March 4, 1869 March 3, 1873 Republican 41st - 42nd Jason Niles March 4, 1873 March 3, 1875 Republican 43rd Otho Robards Singleton March 4, 1875 March 3, 1883 Democratic Redistricted to the 5th district 44th - 47th Hernando D. Money March 4, 1883 March 3, 1885 Democratic Redistricted from the 3rd district 48th Frederick G. Barry March 4, 1885 March 3, 1889 Democratic 49th - 50th Clarke Lewis March 4, 1889 March 3, 1893 Democratic 51st - 52nd Hernando D. Money March 4, 1893 March 3, 1897 Democratic 53rd - 54th Andrew F. Fox March 4, 1897 March 3, 1903 Democratic 55th - 57th Wilson S. Hill March 4, 1903 March 3, 1909 Democratic 58th - 60th Thomas U. Sisson March 4, 1909 March 3, 1923 Democratic 61st - 67th T. Jeff Busby March 4, 1923 January 3, 1935 Democratic 68th - 73rd Aaron L. Ford January 3, 1935 January 3, 1943 Democratic 74th - 77th Thomas G. Abernethy January 3, 1943 January 3, 1953 Democratic Redistricted to the 1st district 78th - 82nd John B. Williams January 3, 1953 January 3, 1963 Democratic Redistricted from the 7th district, Redistricted to the 3rd district 83rd - 87th W. Arthur Winstead January 3, 1963 January 3, 1965 Democratic Redistricted from the 5th district 88th Prentiss Walker January 3, 1965 January 3, 1967 Republican 89th Sonny Montgomery January 3, 1967 January 3, 1973 Democratic Redistricted to the 3rd district 90th - 92nd Thad Cochran January 3, 1973 December 26, 1978 Republican Resigned after being elected US Senate, took seat on early appointment 93rd - 95th Jon Hinson January 3, 1979 July 7, 1981 Republican Resigned 96th - 97th Wayne Dowdy January 3, 1981 January 3, 1989 Democratic 97th - 100th Mike Parker January 3, 1989 November 10, 1995 Democratic 101st - 103rd November 10, 1995 January 3, 1999 Republican 104th - 105th Ronnie Shows January 3, 1999 January 3, 2003 Democratic 106th - 107th Gene Taylor January 3, 2003 January 3, 2011 Democratic Redistricted from the 5th district, lost reelection in 2010 108th - 111th Steven Palazzo January 3, 2011 Present Republican Incumbent 112th - Elections
2010
2010 Fourth Congressional District of Mississippi Elections Party Candidate Votes % ±% Republican Steven Palazzo 101,318 51.80 +26.34 Democratic Gene Taylor 91,838 46.96 -27.58 Libertarian Tim Hampton 1,686 0.86 +0.86 Mississippi Reform Party Anna Revies 752 0.38 +0.38 Turnout 195,594 Majority 9,480 4.84 2008
2006 Fourth Congressional District of Mississippi Elections Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Gene Taylor 74.54 -5.25 Republican John McCay 25.46 +5.25 Turnout Majority 49.08 2006
Main article: U.S. House elections, 2006Fourth District incumbent Gene Taylor (D) was re-elected, gathering 80% of the Fourth District's vote. He is considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the House[1]. His district has a Cook Political Report rating of R+16.
Taylor faced challenger Randall "Randy" McDonnell, a former IRS agent. McDonnell, the Republican Party nominee, had also unsuccessfully challenged Taylor in both 1998 and 2000.
Taylor first was elected in 1989 to Mississippi's 5th congressional district, after having lost to Larkin I. Smith in the 1988 race for that open seat, which had been vacated by Trent Lott when Lott made a successful run for the Senate. Smith died eight months later in a plane crash. Taylor came in first in the special election primary to fill the seat, winning the runoff election two weeks later and taking office on October 18, 1989.
In 1990, Taylor won a full term in the 5th District with 81% of the vote, and has been reelected at each election since.
His district was renumbered the 4th after the redistricting of 2000, which cost Mississippi a Congressional seat. In 2004, Taylor was reelected to the House with 64% of their vote, choosing him over both Republican nominee Michael Lott and Reform nominee Tracella Hill.
2006 Fourth Congressional District of Mississippi Elections Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Gene Taylor 110,996 79.79 +15.02 Republican Randall "Randy" McDonnell 28,117 20.21 -14.29 Turnout 139,113 Majority 82,879 59.58 2004
2004 Fourth Congressional District of Mississippi Elections Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Gene Taylor 181,614 64.77 -10.44 Republican Mike Lott 96,740 34.50 +13.26 Mississippi Reform Party Tracella Hill 2,028 0.72 -0.79 Turnout 280,382 Majority 84,874 30.27 2002
2002 Fourth Congressional District of Mississippi Elections Party Candidate Votes % ±% Democratic Gene Taylor 121,742 75.21 - Republican Dr. Karl Cleveland Mertz 34,373 21.24 - Libertarian Wayne L. Parker 3,311 2.05 - Mississippi Reform Party Thomas R. Huffmaster 2,442 1.51 - Turnout 161,868 Majority 87,369 53.98 Mississippi's congressional districts All districts: Territory At-large 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
The At-large and 5th-8th districts are obsolete.
See also: Mississippi's past & present Representatives, Senators, and Delegations, 2010 elections, 2012 elections
All U.S. districts – Apportionment – Redistricting – Gerrymandering – MapsReferences
- ^ http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=197
- ^ 2010 Mississippi Election Results New York Times. November 12, 2010.
- ^ Almanac of American Politics 2002, p872
- 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
Categories:- Congressional districts of Mississippi
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