United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_the_District_of_Columbia

United States House of Representatives elections in the District of Columbia

United States House of Representatives elections in the District of Columbia

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The District of Columbia is a political division coterminous with Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States.[1] According to the Article One of the Constitution, only states may be represented in the United States Congress.[2] The District of Columbia is not a U.S. state and therefore has no voting representation.[3]

In 1871, Congress reorganized the District of Columbia into a single territorial government that was partially elected. It also permitted the district to elect a delegate to the House of Representatives, a type of non-voting member. Norton P. Chipman served two terms as the district's delegate until Congress abolished the territorial government in 1874. The city went nearly 100 years without any representation in Congress.[4] With the enactment of the District of Columbia Delegate Act in 1970, its at-large congressional district was established. Constituents are again authorized to elect a delegate House.[5] The district has held 29 delegate elections in total.

In 2009, the Senate passed the District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act, which would allow the district to elect a voting member to the House. However, an amendment added by John Ensign would repeal most of the district's gun laws and prohibit it from restricting gun rights any further. This took place eight months after the Supreme Court's ruling on District of Columbia v. Heller, which declared a D.C. gun law unconstitutional.[6] The Democratic leaders in the House admitted that they could not support the bill if it included the Ensign amendment,[7] and the never voted on it.[8]

The majority of residents want the district to become a state and gain full voting representation in Congress.[9] To prepare for this goal, the district has elected shadow representatives since 1990. The shadow representative emulates the role of representing the district in the House and pushes for statehood alongside the delegate and shadow senators.[10] The district has held 17 shadow representative elections.

The Democratic Party has immense political strength in the district; in each of the delegate and shadow representative elections (excluding the 1870s elections), the district has overwhelmingly voted for the Democratic candidate, with no margin less than 33 and 56 percentage points, respectively. In two delegate and two shadow representative elections, the Democratic candidate ran unopposed.

Delegate elections

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Graph

The following graph shows the margin of victory of the Democratic Party over the runner-up in the 29 U.S. House delegate elections the District of Columbia has held, excluding the two during the 1870s.

Shadow representative elections

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Graph

The following graph shows the margin of victory of the Democratic Party over the runner-up in the 17 U.S. House shadow representative elections the District of Columbia has held.

See also

Notes

  1. For purposes of these lists, other candidates are defined as those who were in third place. Write-in totals are not represented.

References

  1. [1]
    Grogg, Robert (2013). "Introduction: Where Oh Where Should the Capital Be?". White House Historical Association. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
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    "Organization of the House of Representatives". Constitution Annotated. Library of Congress. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  3. [3]
    Ellis, Jessica (December 9, 2022). "Does Washington DC Have a Governor, Senators and Representatives?". United States Now. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  4. [4]
    Gibbs, C. R. (March 2, 1989). "The District Had a Voice, If Not a Vote, in the 42nd Congress". The Washington Post. p. DC3. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  5. [5]
    "Delegate Walter Fauntroy of the District of Columbia". History, Art, & Archives. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  6. [6]
    Urbina, Ian (February 27, 2009). "Senators Tie Gun Issue to Capital-Vote Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  7. [7]
    Miller, S. A. (June 10, 2009). "Gun Provision Foils D.C. Voting Rights Bill". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  8. [8]
    "S.160 - District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009". United States Congress. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  9. [9]
    Davis, Aaron C. (November 8, 2016). "District Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Referendum to Make D.C. the 51st State". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
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    "The Washington Election". The Baltimore Sun. April 20, 1871. p. 1. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via ProQuest.
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    "DC Delegate Race - Mar 23, 1971". OurCampaigns. September 16, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  13. [13]
    Guthrie, Benjamin J.; Jennings, W. Pat (March 15, 1973). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 50. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Guthrie, Benjamin J.; Jennings, W. Pat (August 1, 1975). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1974 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 41. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Guthrie, Benjamin J.; Henshaw, Edmund L., Jr. (April 15, 1977). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1976 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 54. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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    Guthrie, Benjamin J.; Henshaw, Edmund L., Jr. (April 1, 1979). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1978 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 40. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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    Ladd, Thomas E.; Henshaw, Edmund L., Jr. (April 15, 1981). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1980 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 70. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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    Ladd, Thomas E.; Guthrie, Benjamin J. (May 5, 1983). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1982 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 47. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Ladd, Thomas E.; Guthrie, Benjamin J. (May 1, 1985). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1984 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 66. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  20. [20]
    Dendy, Dallas L., Jr.; Anderson, Donald K. (May 29, 1987). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1986 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 43. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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    Dendy, Dallas L., Jr.; Anderson, Donald K. (April 20, 1989). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 55. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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    Dendy, Dallas L., Jr.; Anderson, Donald K. (April 29, 1991). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1990 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 45. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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    "District of Columbia General Election - Final and Complete Election Results" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 13, 1992. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  24. [24]
    Dendy, Dallas L., Jr.; Anderson, Donald K. (May 31, 1993). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1992 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 80. Retrieved December 26, 2022.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. [25]
    "November 8 General Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 18, 1994. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  26. [26]
    Carle, Robin H. (May 12, 1995). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1994 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 45. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  27. [27]
    "November 15 General Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 15, 1996. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  28. [28]
    Carle, Robin H. (June 21, 2001). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1998 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 76. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  29. [29]
    "November 13 General Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 13, 1998. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  30. [30]
    Trandahl, Jeff (January 3, 1999). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1998 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 48. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  31. [31]
    "November 7 General Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 17, 2000. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  32. [32]
    Trandahl, Jeff (June 21, 2001). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 2000 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 71-72. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  33. [33]
    "Certification Summary - Candidate". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 21, 2002. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Trandahl, Jeff (May 1, 2003). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 2002 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 50. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    "Certified Summary Results" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 18, 2004. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Trandahl, Jeff (June 7, 2005). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 2004 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 59. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    "Certified Official Results Report" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 21, 2006. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Miller, Lorraine C. (September 21, 2007). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 2006 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 49. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    "Certified Election Results" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 24, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Miller, Lorraine C. (July 10, 2009). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 69. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    "General Election 2010 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 19, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Haas, Karen L. (June 3, 2011). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 2010 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 56. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    "General Election 2012 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. April 14, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    Haas, Karen L. (February 28, 2013). Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 2012 (PDF) (Report). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. p. 68. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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    "General Election 2014 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. December 3, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  46. [46]
    "General Election 2016 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. June 18, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  47. [47]
    "General Election 2018 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 15, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  48. [48]
    "General Election 2020 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  49. [49]
    "General Election 2022 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 30, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  50. [50]
    "DC Shadow Representative Race - Nov 06, 1990". OurCampaigns. August 17, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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