Population (2000) 643,514 Cook PVI R+8 | Median income 50,257 | |
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Ethnicity 76.1% White18.6% Black1.7% Asian3.0% Hispanic0.4% Native American0.4% other | ||
Virginia's first congressional district is a United States congressional district in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Contents
Virginian politicians often refer to it as "America's First District" as the district includes Jamestown (the first permanent English settlement in the New World), Williamsburg (the first capital of the colony), and Yorktown of the Historic Triangle where the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War was fought. The district also includes major military installations. It has been represented by Republican Rob Wittman since 2007.
As of 2016, the adjacent 3rd district has been ruled unconstitutional. New districts have been drawn.
Area covered
It covers all or part of the following political subdivisions:
Counties
Cities
The entirety of:
Portions of:
The seat is currently held by Republican Rob Wittman.
Historic district boundaries
The Virginia First District started in 1788 covering the counties of Berkeley, Frederick, Hampshire, Hardy, Harrison, Monongalia, Ohio, Randolph and Shenandoah. Of these only Shenandoah and Frederick Counties are in Virginia today; the rest are now part of West Virginia. The modern counties of Clarke, Warren and most of Page as well as the independent city of Winchester were included as part of Frederick and Shenandoah counties in 1788. In West Virginia all the current state north and east of a generalized line running from Wood County to Pocahontas County was in the congressional district. The one exception was that Pendleton County, West Virginia was in Virginia's 3rd congressional district.
In the redistribution which followed the 1850 census (in force 1853-1863), the First District comprised sixteen counties in eastern Virginia. The counties included (amongst others) Accomack, Essex, Gloucester, James City, King and Queen, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Richmond, Warwick and Westmoreland. In an 1862 Union special election three out of the sixteen counties in the Union district supplied returns.
The First District is noted for its strong presence of military institutions, including the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Increasing numbers of military and retired voters have swung the district to the right.