West Virginia's 2nd congressional district
| West Virginia's 2nd congressional district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 West Virginia's 2nd congressional district - since January 3, 2013. | |||
| Representative |
| ||
| Population (2019) | 623,039 | ||
| Median household income | $52,166[1] | ||
| Ethnicity |
| ||
| Cook PVI | R+17[2] | ||
West Virginia's 2nd congressional district stretches from the Ohio River border with Ohio to the Potomac River border with Maryland and the border with Virginia. It includes the capital city of Charleston and the rapidly growing residential communities of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands regions connected by a narrow strip of nearly unpopulated counties. It is 20 miles (32 km) wide and 300 miles (480 km) long.
The district is currently represented by Alex Mooney, a Republican.
West Virginia had four Congressional seats from 1973 to 1993. Previously, much of the western portion of the current 2nd District had been in the 3rd District, based in Charleston. The eastern portion of the district had been in the 2nd District, which had been anchored in Martinsburg and Morgantown for all but a few years since statehood. For all but two years from 1949 to 1993, it was held by the Democratic Staggers family--Harley O. Staggers from 1949 to 1981 and Harley "Buckey" Staggers Jr. from 1983 to 1993. When West Virginia lost a seat following the 1990 Census, the state legislature divided Staggers's district among the remaining three districts. Much of Staggers's old territory was merged with the 3rd District, represented by five-term Democrat Bob Wise and renumbered the 2nd. However, Staggers's home in Mineral County wound up in the 1st District, where he was routed in the Democratic primary by Alan Mollohan. Wise represented the new district until 2000, when he ran for and won West Virginia's governorship. Following the 2010 Census, Mason County was transferred to the 3rd District, which changed the character of the district only slightly. This change took effect for the 2012 election.[3]
The district is very expensive to campaign in, because six counties on the district's eastern fringe are in the very expensive Washington, D.C. television market. The two main parts, Charleston and the Eastern Panhandle, have very little in common and very little interaction.
The district is slightly more conservative and prosperous than the rest of West Virginia, though like the state's other districts, it tends to give congressmen long tenures in Washington. The 2000 election that resulted in Capito's victory marked the first open-seat race in the district since 1945. The old 2nd District had only five congressmen from 1933 until its elimination in 1993.
George W. Bush carried the district twice in 2000 with 54% of the vote and in 2004 with 57% of the vote. John McCain also won the district in 2008 with 54.63% of the vote while Barack Obama received 43.77%.
History[]
The Second District as originally formed in 1863 included Taylor, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Barbour, Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, Randolph, Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, and Morgan counties (Jefferson county's status in the state was still in dispute, and Grant and Mineral counties were still part of other counties, but the modern territory of all was also included). It was essentially the successor of Virginia's 10th congressional district. The district was unchanged for 1882.
In 1902, the district was changed to Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Taylor, Barbour, Tucker, Randolph, Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties. The district was unchanged for 1916. Taylor was removed for 1934. The district was again unchanged for 1954. In 1962 Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, and Greenbrier counties were added. In 1972, Lewis, Monroe, Summers, and Fayette were added. In 1982, Barbour was added.
1992 first saw the district as currently constituted, consisting of Berkeley, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Glimer, Hampshire, Hardy, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Mason, Morgan, Nicholas, Pendleton, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Upshur, and Wirt counties. In 2002, Gilmer and Nicholas were removed and for the election cycle beginning in 2012, Mason was removed.[4]
Recent presidential elections[]
| Election results from presidential races | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Office | Results |
| 2000 | President | Bush 54 - 44% |
| 2004 | President | Bush 57 - 42% |
| 2008 | President | McCain 55 - 44% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 60 - 38% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 66 - 29% |
| 2020 | President | Trump 65 - 33% |
List of members representing the district[]
| Member | Party | Dates | Cong ress |
Electoral history |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created December 7, 1863 | ||||
 William G. Brown Sr. |
Unconditional Unionist | December 7, 1863 – March 3, 1865 |
38th | Elected in 1863. Retired. |
 George R. Latham |
Unconditional Unionist | March 4, 1865 – March 3, 1867 |
39th | Elected in 1864. Retired. |
 Bethuel Kitchen |
Republican | March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869 |
40th | Elected in 1866. Retired. |
 James McGrew |
Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873 |
41st 42nd |
Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired. |
 John Hagans |
Republican | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 |
43rd | Elected in 1872. Lost re-election as an Independent. |
 Charles J. Faulkner |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 |
44th | Elected in 1874. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
 Benjamin F. Martin |
Democratic | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 |
45th 46th |
Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Lost renomination. |
 John B. Hoge |
Democratic | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 |
47th | Elected in 1880. Retired. |
 William Lyne Wilson |
Democratic | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1895 |
48th 49th 50th 51st 52nd 53rd |
Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Retired. |
 Alston G. Dayton |
Republican | March 4, 1895 – March 16, 1905 |
54th 55th 56th 57th 58th 59th |
Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Resigned when appointed as a judge of US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia |
| Vacant | March 16, 1905 – June 6, 1905 |
59th | ||
 Thomas Beall Davis |
Democratic | June 6, 1905 – March 3, 1907 |
Elected to finish Dayton's term. Retired. | |
 George Cookman Sturgiss |
Republican | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1911 |
60th 61st |
Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Lost re-election. |
 William Gay Brown Jr. |
Democratic | March 4, 1911 – March 9, 1916 |
62nd 63rd 64th |
Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Died. |
| Vacant | March 9, 1916 – May 9, 1916 |
64th | ||
 George Meade Bowers |
Republican | May 9, 1916 – March 3, 1923 |
64th 65th 66th 67th |
Elected to finish Brown's term. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Lost re-election. |
 Robert E. Lee Allen |
Democratic | March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1925 |
68th | Elected in 1922. Lost re-election. |
 Frank Llewellyn Bowman |
Republican | March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1933 |
69th 70th 71st 72nd |
Elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Lost re-election. |
 Jennings Randolph |
Democratic | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1947 |
73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th |
Elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Lost re-election. |
| Melvin C. Snyder | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 |
80th | Elected in 1946. Lost re-election. |
 Harley Orrin Staggers |
Democratic | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1981 |
81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th |
Elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Retired. |
 Cleve Benedict |
Republican | January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 |
97th | Elected in 1980. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
 Harley O. Staggers Jr. |
Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 |
98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd |
Elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the 1st district and lost renomination. |
 Bob Wise |
Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2001 |
103rd 104th 105th 106th |
Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Retired to run for Governor of West Virginia. |
 Shelley Moore Capito |
Republican | January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2015 |
107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th |
Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Retired to run for U.S. senator. |
 Alex Mooney |
Republican | January 3, 2015 – present |
114th 115th 116th 117th |
Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. |
Recent election results[]
2000s[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito | 108,769 | 48.49 | |||
| Democratic | Jim Humphreys | 103,003 | 45.92 | |||
| Libertarian | John Brown | 12,543 | 5.59 | |||
| Total votes | 224,315 | 100.00 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 98,276 | 60.04 | |
| Democratic | Jim Humphreys | 65,400 | 39.96 | |
| Total votes | 163,676 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 147,676 | 57.46 | |
| Democratic | Erik Wells | 106,131 | 41.29 | |
| Mountain | Julian Martin | 3,218 | 1.25 | |
| Total votes | 257,025 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 94,110 | 57.18 | |
| Democratic | Mike Callaghan | 70,470 | 42.82 | |
| Total votes | 164,580 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 147,334 | 57.07 | |
| Democratic | Anne Barth | 110,819 | 42.92 | |
| Write-ins | 16 | 0.01 | ||
| Total votes | 258,169 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2010s[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 126,814 | 68.46 | |
| Democratic | Virginia Lynch Graf | 55,001 | 29.69 | |
| Constitution | Phil Hudok | 3,431 | 1.85 | |
| Total votes | 185,246 | 100.00 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Moore Capito (incumbent) | 158,206 | 69.8 | |
| Democratic | Howard Swint | 68,560 | 30.2 | |
| Total votes | 226,766 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alex X. Mooney | 72,619 | 47.1 | |
| Democratic | Nick Casey | 67,687 | 43.9 | |
| Libertarian | Davy Jones | 7,682 | 5.0 | |
| Independent | Ed Rabel | 6,250 | 4.0 | |
| Total votes | 154,238 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 140,807 | 58.2 | |
| Democratic | Mark Hunt | 101,207 | 41.8 | |
| Total votes | 242,014 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 110,504 | 53.9 | |
| Democratic | Talley Sergent | 88,011 | 43.0 | |
| Mountain | Daniel Lutz | 6,277 | 3.1 | |
| Total votes | 204,792 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2020s[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alex Mooney (incumbent) | 172,195 | 63.1 | |
| Democratic | Cathy Kunkel | 100,799 | 36.9 | |
| Total votes | 272,994 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
Historical district boundaries[]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ https://www.census.gov/mycd/?st=54&cd=02
- ^ "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB1008%20Map.pdf
- ^ West Virginia Blue Book (pp 535, 2012 edition)
- 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
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Coordinates: 38°50′20″N 80°10′26″W / 38.83889°N 80.17389°W
- Congressional districts of West Virginia