Tennessee's 6th congressional district
The 6th congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican John Rose since January 2019.
| Tennessee's 6th congressional district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023 | |||
| Representative |
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| Distribution |
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| Population (2022) | 783,125[2] | ||
| Median household income | $64,687[3] | ||
| Ethnicity |
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| Cook PVI | R+17[4] | ||
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Much of the sixth district is rural and wooded. It is spread across the geographic regions known as the Cumberland Plateau, the Highland Rim, and the Central Basin. The area is known for its waterfalls, such as Burgess Falls and Cummins Falls. Much of the western part of the district is located in the Nashville metropolitan area, along with a portion of Nashville itself.
With close access to interstates 24, 40, and 65, subdivisions are sprouting almost exponentially, fast filling with new economy managers. Recently, many companies have opened either manufacturing or distribution centers in the 6th district. This includes Amazon[5] and Bridgestone-Firestone[6] in Lebanon, gun manufacturer Beretta in Gallatin,[7] and clothing manufacturer Under Armour in Mt. Juliet.[8]
Politically speaking, the region was traditionally a "Yellow Dog Democrat" district. However, it began shifting rightward as Nashville's suburbs bled into the district and the rural counties trended Republican. It supported Bill Clinton in 1992, partly due to the presence of Al Gore, who represented it from 1977 to 1985, as Clinton's running mate. However, it has not supported a Democrat for president since. Longtime Democratic incumbent Bart Gordon consistently won reelection easily even as the district swung rightward after the turn of the millennium. By the mid-2000s, however, it was believed that the Democrats would have a hard time keeping the seat after Gordon retired.
Gordon retired in 2010, and Republican state senator Diane Black won the seat in a landslide, proving just how Republican this district had become. The 2010 redistricting made the district even more Republican, even as its longtime anchor of Murfreesboro was drawn into the neighboring 4th District. Since 2012, no Democrat has won an entire county within the district in any presidential, gubernatorial, senate, or congressional election.[9][10] Indeed, no Democrat has crossed the 30 percent mark in the district since Gordon's retirement.
Current boundaries
The district is located in north-central Tennessee and borders Kentucky to the north. It is currently composed of the following counties: Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Van Buren. The district also contains parts of Davidson, Scott, Warren, and Wilson counties.
Election results from statewide races
Results under old lines (2013-2023)
| Year | Office | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | George W. Bush 49% - Al Gore 49% |
| 2004 | President | George W. Bush 60% - John Kerry 40% |
| 2008 | President | John McCain 65% - Barack Obama 33.5% |
| 2012 | President | Mitt Romney 70% - Barack Obama 29.5% |
| 2016 | President | Donald Trump 72.6% - Hillary Clinton 23.7% |
| 2020 | President | Donald Trump 72.2% - Joe Biden 25.6% |
History
Prior to the 1980 census, when Tennessee picked up a district, most of what is now the 6th district was in the 4th district. During the 1940s, this area was represented by Albert Gore, Sr. of Carthage. Gore was elected to the United States Senate in 1952, where he was instrumental in creating the Interstate Highway system.[11]
From 1953 to 1977, the area was represented by Joe L. Evins of Smithville. Evins's nephew, Dan Evins, was the founder of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store restaurant/retail chain.[12] Cracker Barrel's headquarters are still located in Lebanon.[13]
In 1976, Evins was succeeded by Al Gore, then-future Vice President and son of Albert Gore, Sr. He was representing the area when much of it was moved into the present 6th district.
Shortly following the redistricting into the 6th district, Gore was elected to the United States Senate. He was then succeeded by former Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Bart Gordon of Murfreesboro. Gordon held the post for the next 26 years, generally with little difficulty. The only year he faced serious opposition was 1994, when attorney Steve Gill ran against him. Gordon defeated Gill by only one percentage point.[14]
According to the 2010 census, the five largest cities are Hendersonville (51,372), Cookeville (30,425), Gallatin (30,278), Lebanon (26,190), and Mt. Juliet (23,671).[15] Diane Black of Gallatin was elected in the Republican landslide of 2010 when Gordon retired after 26 years in Congress. Black's victory marked the first time that much of the district had been represented by a Republican since 1921, and for only the second time since Reconstruction.
List of members representing the district
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References
- "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based)". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
- "My Congressional District". Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
- "My Congressional District". Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- "Amazon Fulfillment - Locations". Archived from the original on September 15, 2012.
- "Bridgestone Americas Distribution Centers". Archived from the original on June 22, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- Cross, Josh (August 28, 2014). "Beretta breaks ground on $45 million Gallatin plant". The Tennessean.
- Humbles, Andy (October 2, 2014). "Under Armour to bring 1,500 jobs to Mt. Juliet". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 29, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Albert Gore Sr". Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- Langer, Emily (January 16, 2012). "Dan Evins, founder of Cracker Barrel highway empire, dies". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012.
- "Work At Our Home Office | Cracker Barrel". Archived from the original on June 23, 2011.
- "Bio: Rep. Bart Gordon". Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- "American FactFinder - Results". Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- 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
- Political Graveyard database of Tennessee congressmen
External links
- Congress.com: Tennessee Congressional districts
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