- Michigan's 6th congressional district
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Michigan's 6th congressional district 
Current Representative Fred Upton (R–St. Joseph) Distribution 58.33% urban, 41.67% rural Population (2000) 662,563 Median income $40,943 Ethnicity 86.0% White, 8.9% Black, 1.1% Asian, 3.6% Hispanic, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% other Cook PVI EVEN 
The 6th district boundaries for the 106th Congress, prior to redistricting in 2002
Michigan's 6th congressional district is a United States congressional district in southwest Michigan. It consists of all of Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren, counties, and includes most of southern and eastern Allegan and a portion of western Calhoun counties.
Contents
Major cities
- Allegan
- Benton Harbor
- Cassopolis
- Niles
- Kalamazoo
- Paw Paw
- Portage
- St. Joseph
- South Haven
- Sturgis
- Three Rivers
History
Michigan's Sixth Congressional District was originally formed in 1862. At this time it had all the Upper Peninsula except Menominee, Delta and Mackinac counties.
The district was vaguely contiguous, in that it did not contain the Straits of Mackinac but did include Presque Isle County, which can be reached without going through another district's area. It included another 21 counties on the Lower Peninsula. The southern boundary of the district was formed by Clinton, Shiawassee, Genesee, Tuscola and Huron counties. The district had a population of 97,783.[1]
In 1872, the Sixth District was shifted southward. It retained Clinton, Shiawassee, and Genesee counties while adding Ingham, Livingston and Oakland counties. With 163,000 residents the district had 12,000 more inhabitants than the next most populous district, and 65,000 more residents than Michigan's least populous district.[2]
In 1882, Shiawassee County was removed from the district. The new district had about 165,000 people. In 1892, Clinton County was removed but the townships of Livonia, Nankin, Redford, Greenfield, Springwells, and Dearborn in Wayne County were added, as well as the part of Detroit west of Lawton. All of Greenfield, and parts of Springwells and Redford Townships have since been incorporated into the city of Detroit. This new district had a population of 190,539 that was 0.8% African-American.[3]
No changes were made in the boundaries of the district in 1902. Its population had risen to 221,699.[4]
It was not until 1932 that the boundaries of the 6th district were altered. In this year it lost its parts of Oakland and Wayne counties and was shifted to Ingham, Livingston, and Genesee Counties. These boundaries were not changed until 1964, when the district was redrawn to cover Jackson, Ingham, and Shiawassee counties.
In 1972, the district was redrawn to include Jackson, Ingham, and Livingston counties, as well as the western portion of Washtenaw County.
In 1982 the district was redrawn to Ingham, Livingston, and northwestern Oakland counties with a finger stretching all the way to Pontiac. Waterford Township was in the district, as was Auburn Hills, but Orion Township, Rochester Hills and Bloomfield Hills were all in other districts. The boundaries also included Independence Township, White Lake Township, Rose Township, Springfield Township and Highland Township. Brighton and the areas directly east of it in Livingston County were also not in this district. Most of Lansing was put in the 3rd District. In Jackson County the district covered Henrietta Township, Rives Township, and Tompkins Township. In Clinton County it included Bath Township. In Shiawassee County the district included Antrim Township, Perry Township, Perry, and Woodhull Township.[5][6]
It was put in its current location in 1992, although there were minor changes in the districts boundaries at that time.
List of representatives
Representative Party Years Congress Notes District created March 4, 1863 John F. Driggs Republican March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869 38th–40th Randolph Strickland Republican March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871 41st Jabez G. Sutherland Democratic March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 42nd Josiah Begole Republican March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 43rd George H. Durand Democratic March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 44th Mark S. Brewer Republican March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 45th–46th Oliver L. Spaulding Republican March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 47th Edwin B. Winans [7] Democratic March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887 48th–49th Mark S. Brewer Republican March 3, 1887 – March 3, 1891 50th–51st Byron G. Stout [8] Democratic March 3, 1891 – March 3, 1893 52nd David D. Aitken Republican March 4,1893 – March 3, 1897 53rd–54th Samuel W. Smith Republican March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1915 55th–63rd Patrick H. Kelley Republican March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1923 64th–67th Redistricted from the At-large district Grant M. Hudson Republican March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1931 67th–71st Seymour H. Person Republican March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933 72nd Claude E. Cady Democratic March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935 73rd William W. Blackney Republican January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1937 74th Andrew J. Transue Democratic January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1939 75th William W. Blackney Republican January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1953 76th–82nd Kit Clardy Republican January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955 83rd Donald Hayworth Democratic January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1957 84th Charles E. Chamberlain Republican January 3, 1957 – December 31, 1974 85th–93rd Resigned Vacant December 31, 1974 –
January 3, 1975Bob Carr Democratic January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1981 94th–96th Jim Dunn Republican January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 97th Bob Carr Democratic January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 98th–102nd Redistricted to the 8th district Fred Upton Republican January 3,1993 – present 103rd–111th Redistricted from the 4th district, Incumbent Notes
- ^ Parson, Beach and Dubin. Congressional Districts and Data p. 119
- ^ Parson et al.Congressional Districts and Data p. 180-181
- ^ Parsons, Dubin and Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 222
- ^ Parsons et al. Congressional Districts p. 359
- ^ Barone, Michael and Grant Ujifusa. Alamanac of American Politics. (Washington: National Journal, 1983) p. 576
- ^ www.censu.gov maps
- ^ Edwin B. Winans was elected as a fusion candidate, but was seated in Congress with the Democratic Party.
- ^ Byron G. Stout was elected on a Democratic and Union ticket in 1890 to the 52nd Congress.
References
- Govtrack.us for the 7th District – Lists current Senators and representative, and map showing district outline
- The Political graveyard: U.S. Representatives from Michigan, 1807–2003
- U.S. Representatives 1837–2003, Michigan Manual 2003–2004
- 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
Michigan's congressional districts Current districts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
All districts: At-large 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
See also: Michigan's past & present Representatives, Senators, and Delegations, 2010 elections, 2012 elections
All U.S. districts – Apportionment – Redistricting – Gerrymandering – MapsCategories:- Congressional districts of Michigan
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