Population (2015) 731,775 | Cook PVI D+5 | |
 | ||
Current Representative John Garamendi (D–Walnut Grove) Ethnicity 50.9% White
6.5% Black
11.8% Asian
27.8% Hispanic
0.9% Native American
3% other | ||
California s 3rd congressional district race
California's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California.
Contents
John Garamendi, a Democrat, has represented the district since January 2013.
Currently, the 3rd district generally encompasses areas north and west of Sacramento. It consists of Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba counties plus portions of Glenn, Lake, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo counties.
Prior to redistricting by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission of 2011, the 3rd district consisted of Alpine, Amador, and Calaveras counties plus portions of Sacramento and Solano counties.
Competitiveness
The 3rd district once extended up the Sacramento Valley from Sacramento to take in rural territory up to Tehama County.
Once a Democratic bastion, the district became more conservative over the years and finally elected a Republican in 1998. The 2001 reapportionment made the district more compact and Republican than previously, though it was far less Republican than the neighboring 4th District. Although there was some movement in registration in favor of the Democrats, it still had a strong GOP flavor as most of Sacramento's Democratic voters lived in the neighboring 5th District.
While George W. Bush carried the district in 2004 with 58.2% of the vote, the district swung rapidly in the Democratic column in 2008 with Barack Obama narrowly winning a plurality with 49.28% of the vote over John McCain's 48.81%. However despite Obama's win, in the congressional election held on the same day the Republicans retained the seat.
Living former Members
As of April 2015, there are three former members of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 3rd congressional district that are currently living.