New York's 3rd congressional district

The 3rd District of New York is generally the eastern half of Nassau County, with some parts as far west as Island Park and Long Beach. The Nassau portion contains suburban communities such as Bellmore, Bethpage, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Levittown, Massapequa, Massapequa Park, Merrick, North Bellmore, North Merrick, Seaford, Syosset, and Wantagh. The Nassau portion of the district also contains the cities of Long Beach and Glen Cove. The district also extends along the South Shore of western Suffolk County encompassing parts of Amityville, Babylon, Bay Shore, Copiague, East Islip, Islip, Lindenhurst, North Lindenhurst, West Babylon, and West Islip, although it generally does not venture north of Sunrise Highway once in Suffolk County.

The district is currently represented by Peter T. King. He was first elected in 1992. He is one of only two Republicans on the Long Island Congressional delegation.

The district is one of the more Republican-leaning in New York, and John McCain defeated Barack Obama 52% to 47% here in 2008.^[1]

Voting

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Hamlets and villages in the district

Entirely within the district

Bayville, Bethpage, Brookville, Cedar Beach, Centre Island, Cove Neck, East Norwich, Gilgo Beach, Glen Cove, Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, Harbor Isle, Hicksville, Island Park, Jericho, Lattingtown, Laurel Hollow, Levittown, Lido Beach, Locust Valley, Long Beach, Massapequa Park, Massapequa, Matinecock, Mill Neck, Muttontown, Oak Beach, Old Brookville, Oyster Bay Cove, Oyster Bay, Plainedge, Point Lookout, Seaford, Upper Brookville, Wantagh, and West Islip.

Partially within the district

Amityville, Babylon, Baldwin, Bay Shore, Bellmore, Brightwaters, Copiague, East Islip, Farmingdale, Freeport, Islip, Lindenhurst, Locust Grove, Merrick, North Babylon, North Bellmore, North Lindenhurst, Oceanside, Old Bethpage, Old Westbury, Plainview, Syosset, West Babylon, West Bay Shore, Westbury, and Woodbury.

This district historically has been centered in northeast Nassau County, but has added other areas from time to time. In the 1960s the district encompassed the northern half of Nassau County and a small corner of Queens. In the 1970s North Hempstead town was added to the 6th District and the 3rd moved into Huntington in Suffolk County and parts of southeast Nassau County. In the 1980s most of eastern Nassau was added to the 4th District, and the 3rd was composed of northwest Nassau, a narrow corridor along LI Sound, and northwest Suffolk. After the 1992 redistricting the North Shore was transferred to the new 5th District and the 3rd consisted of inland areas of northern and eastern Nassau County, and the Nassau County south shore. An even narrower corridor linked the northwest Nassau and northwest Suffolk portion of the 5th District, leaving most of Oyster Bay in the 3rd. The 2002 remap removed some areas of eastern Nassau, but added south shore towns in Suffolk County and the shore areas of northeast Nassau.

List of representatives

1789–1805: one seat

1805–1809: two seats on general ticket with 2nd District

Note: Usually, Mumford is listed as member from the 2nd District, and Clinton from the 3rd District, because Clinton was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Mitchill to the U.S. Senate, and Mitchill had been elected previously in the 3rd District. However, in 1804 Mitchill was already re-elected on the 2nd/3rd general ticket, and both Clinton and Mumford were elected in special elections, receiving votes in both districts.

1809–1823: one seat

1823–1843: three, then four, seats

Starting in 1823, three seats were elected at-large district-wide on a general ticket. In 1833, a fourth seat was apportioned to the district, also elected district-wide at-large on the same general ticket.

1843–present

The single-seat district was restored in 1843.

Election results

In New York State there are numerous parties at various points on the political spectrum. Certain parties will invariably endorse either the Republican or Democratic candidate for every office, hence the state electoral results contain both the party votes, and the final candidate votes (Listed as "Recap").

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
• National atlas congressional maps