West Virginia's 1st congressional district

Infobox U.S. congressional district
state = West Virginia
district number = 1


image width = 300
image caption =
representative = Alan Mollohan
party = Democratic
english area =
metric area =
percent urban =
percent rural =
population = 602,545
population year = 2000
median income = 30,303
percent white = 96.4
percent black = 1.8
percent asian = 0.7
percent native american =0.2
percent hispanic = 0.7
percent other race = 0.1
percent blue collar =
percent white collar =
percent gray collar =
cpvi = R+6

The First Congressional District of West Virginia is located in the northern part of the state. It is the most regularly drawn of the state's three districts. Democrat Alan Mollohan has represented the district since succeeding his father Bob in 1983.

It includes the industrial rust belt area of the state's northern panhandle--which includes the district's third largest city, Wheeling--plus Fairmont, Clarksburg, and the college town of Morgantown, the home of the main campus of West Virginia University. The largest city in the district is Parkersburg; the second largest is Morgantown. It also includes many rural farm and timber producing areas. The cities are Democratic strongholds, while the rural areas are much more conservative and Republican.

While Alan Mollohan hasn't faced serious opposition since 1984, it is a district where both parties have a legitimate chance to win. State legislators are equally split between parties.

West Virginia tends to give its congressmen long tenures in Washington, and the First is no exception. Only three men have represented the district since 1953--Bob Mollohan from 1953-57, Republican (and future governor Arch Moore, Jr. from 1957-69, Bob Mollohan again from 1969-83 and Alan Mollohan since 1983.

The district will exist as currently drawn until the 2010 Census. Current trends indicate that population growth in the Morgantown-Fairmont-Clarksburg area balances the decline in the rust belt areas, so the district is probably stable.