Florida's 1st congressional district

Florida's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Florida, covering the state's western Panhandle. It includes all of Escambia, Holmes, Washington, and Santa Rosa counties and portions of Okaloosa and Walton counties. The district is anchored in Pensacola and also includes Fort Walton Beach and stretches along the Redneck Riveria.

The district is currently represented by Republican Jeff Miller, who was elected in a special election following the resignation of Joe Scarborough.

Characteristics

Although Democrats have a slight plurality in voter registration due too a large number of unaffiliated conservatives, the 1st Congressional District is a Republican district.

The district encompasses the western part of the Florida Panhandle, in the extreme western portion of the state, stretching from Pensacola and the Alabama border east to include Walton, Holmes, and Washington counties.

The territory now in the 1st District was originally part of the 3rd Congressional District from 1903 to 1963; however, it has been numbered as the 1st District since then. It cast aside its Democratic roots far sooner than most of the other areas of the state. It has not supported a Democrat for President since John F. Kennedy in 1960. In 1964, Republican Barry Goldwater carried the district by such a large margin that it nearly pushed Florida's electoral votes into the Republican column. Nonetheless, it continued to usually elect conservative Democrats at the state and local level until the Republican Revolution of 1994, when Joe Scarborough was elected. Since then, the district has become arguably the most Republican district in Florida, with Republicans dominating every level of government. John McCain received 67% of the vote in this district in 2008.

The area comprising the 1st Congressional District has maintained a large military presence ever since John Quincy Adams persuaded Spain to sell Florida to the United States in 1819, in part to gain a deepwater port at Pensacola. The U.S. Air Force also has a large presence in Eglin Air Force Base, which is economically important to the district. Slightly under 14,000 people are employed at the base, which is one of the largest air bases in the world and has approximately 100,000 square miles (260,000 km²) of airspace stretching over the Gulf of Mexico to the Florida Keys. Hurlburt Field is an auxiliary field at Eglin AFB and is the location of the Air Force Special Operations Command. Eglin AFB spreads over three counties. Pensacola Naval Air Station was the first Navy base devoted to the specific purpose of aviation, and is the home of the Blue Angels. Saufley Field, used for training, is slightly north of Pensacola NAS.

A large number of veterans who retire relocate to this district. Tourism, particularly in Destin, is a major economic activity.

Presidential Voting History

List of representatives

Election Results

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

References

• 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