Florida's 1st congressional district

Infobox U.S. congressional district
state = Florida
district number = 1


representative = Jeff Miller
party = Republican
english area = 5,241
metric area =
percent urban = 77.5
percent rural = 22.5
population = 639,295
population year = 2000
median income = 36,738
percent white = 78.0
percent black = 14.0
percent asian = 1.9
percent native american = 0.9
percent hispanic = 3.0
percent other race = 0.2
percent blue collar =
percent white collar =
percent gray collar =
cpvi = R+19

The First Congressional District of Florida covers the western panhandle of Florida.

The district is currently represented in the United States Congress by Jeff Miller, who was elected in a special election following the resignation of Joe Scarborough.

Demographics

District 1 has a total population (2000 census) of roughly 650,000 residents and covers 5,241 square miles. The median income is just under the national average at around $36,738.

Politics

Although Democrats have a slight plurality in registration, the 1st is a conservative district. Its politics are heavily influenced by the military's significant presence in the region, as well as a large number of veterans who retire to this district.

The district includes the end of the Florida Panhandle, so far west it's in the Central time zone — something which became a sore point in the 2000 Election when some TV networks declared Al Gore the winner of Florida's electoral votes ten minutes before the polls in the Panhandle closed. The 1st District stretches from Pensacola and the Alabama border east to include Walton, Holmes, and Washington Counties.

The territory now in the 1st was originally known as the 3rd District from 1903 to 1963; it has been numbered as the 1st District since then. It cast aside its Democratic roots far sooner than most other areas of Florida. It has not supported a Democrat for president since 1960. In 1964, Republican Barry Goldwater carried the district by such a large margin that it nearly pushed Florida's electoral votes into the Republican column. Nonetheless, it continued to elect conservative Democrats until the 1994 Republican Revolution, when Joe Scarborough became its first-ever Republican congressman. Since then, the district has become arguably the most Republican district in Florida, with Republicans dominating every level of government. George W. Bush received 72% of the vote in this district in 2004. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R +19.

2006 Election

Republican (Miller) 134,928 (69%)

Democrat (Roberts) 61,851 (31%)

History

Florida's 1st District has maintained a large military presence ever since John Quincy Adams persuaded Spain to sell Florida to the U.S. in 1819 to get the deep water port of Pensacola.

This district has been under the control of five countries: Spain, France, the United Kingdom (or a predecessor thereof), the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.

Military

Eglin Air Force Base

The Air Force also has a large presence in Eglin Air Force Base. This district has always been dependent on a military presence for growth and economic stability. Even today, almost 14,000 people are employed at Eglin Air Force Base, which spreads over three counties. Eglin Air Force Base also has approximately 100,000 square miles of airspace stretching over the Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Keys, and is considered one the largest air bases in the world. Eglin developed the "bunker buster" BLU-82 bomb that would later be used in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was the test site for the largest conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal, the 21,000 pound ordinance referred to as the "Mother of All Bombs".

Hurlburt Field

An installation within an installation, Hurlburt Field is an auxiliary field of Eglin Air Force Base. It is the location of the Air Force Special Operations Command.

Pensacola Naval Air Station

Pensacola NAS was the first Navy base devoted to the specific purpose of aviation, and is the home of the Blue Angels.

aufley Field

Saufley Field is used for practice landings and take-offs by training aircraft. It was established in 1940.

Tourism

This area has become a major vacation and retirement spot for people who enjoy its vast, fine-grained white sand beaches, and its inlet-filled bays; it also has become a leading destination of college students for their spring break, especially Destin.

References