The territory now within the 16th Congressional District was, in 2000, the poorest of the nation's 435 present Congressional Districts (with 42.2% of its residents below the poverty line) and the most favorable to Democratic Presidential candidate Al Gore (who won 92% of its vote). Of New York State's 29 congressional districts it was the most Hispanic and also the youngest (34.5% under 18 years old and 6.7% over 65). It had, as well, the state's lowest percentage of owner-occupied homes (7.2% versus 53.0% statewide).[1][2] It was recorded as the most Democratic district in the Cook Partisan Voter Index for the 110th U.S. Congress, with a score of D+43. In 2008, it gave Barack Obama his largest victory margin in any congressional district, a margin of 95%-5%.[3]
Representative |
Party |
Years |
District Home |
Note |
District created |
1803 |
|
|
John Patterson |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1805 |
|
|
Uri Tracy |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1805 – March 3, 1809 |
|
|
Reuben Humphrey |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1807 – March 3, 1809 |
|
|
District eliminated |
1809 |
|
|
District restored |
1813 |
|
|
Morris S. Miller |
Federalist |
March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815 |
|
|
Thomas R. Gold |
Federalist |
March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817 |
|
|
Henry R. Storrs |
Federalist |
March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1821 |
|
|
Vacant |
March 4 - December 3, 1821 |
The United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1821 were held in April, after the congressional term had already begun. It is not clear when the result was announced or the credentials were issued. |
Joseph Kirkland |
Federalist |
December 3, 1821 – March 3, 1823 |
|
|
John W. Cady |
Adams-Clay DR |
March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 |
|
|
Henry Markell |
Adams |
March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829 |
|
|
Benedict Arnold |
Anti-Jackson |
March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1831 |
|
|
Nathan Soule |
Jacksonian |
March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833 |
|
|
Abijah Mann, Jr. |
Jacksonian |
March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1837 |
|
|
Arphaxed Loomis |
Democratic |
March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 |
|
|
Andrew W. Doig |
Democratic |
March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1843 |
|
|
Chesselden Ellis |
Democratic |
March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
|
|
Hugh White |
Whig |
March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1851 |
|
|
John Wells |
Whig |
March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 |
|
|
George A. Simmons |
Whig |
March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 |
|
|
Opposition |
March 4, 1855 – May 30, 1857 |
|
|
George W. Palmer |
Republican |
March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 |
|
|
William A. Wheeler |
Republican |
March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 |
|
|
Orlando Kellogg |
Republican |
March 4, 1863 – August 24, 1865 |
|
died in office |
vacant |
August 24, 1865 – December 3, 1866 |
|
|
Robert S. Hale |
Republican |
December 3, 1866 – March 3, 1867 |
|
|
Orange Ferriss |
Republican |
March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1871 |
|
|
John Rogers |
Democratic |
March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 |
|
|
James S. Smart |
Republican |
March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 |
|
|
Charles H. Adams |
Republican |
March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877 |
|
|
Terence J. Quinn |
Democratic |
March 4, 1877 – June 18, 1878 |
|
died in office |
vacant |
June 18, 1878 – November 5, 1878 |
|
|
John Mosher Bailey |
Republican |
November 5, 1878 – March 3, 1881 |
|
|
Michael N. Nolan |
Democratic |
March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 |
|
|
Thomas J. Van Alstyne |
Democratic |
March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 |
|
|
John H. Ketcham |
Republican |
March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1893 |
|
redistricted from 13th district |
William Ryan |
Democratic |
March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895 |
|
|
Benjamin L. Fairchild |
Republican |
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 |
|
|
William L. Ward |
Republican |
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 |
|
|
John Q. Underhill |
Democratic |
March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901 |
|
|
Cornelius A. Pugsley |
Democratic |
March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903 |
|
|
Jacob Ruppert, Jr. |
Democratic |
March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907 |
|
redistricted from 15th district |
Francis B. Harrison |
Democratic |
March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1913 |
|
redistricted to 20th district |
Peter J. Dooling |
Democratic |
March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1919 |
|
redistricted to 15th district |
Thomas F. Smith |
Democratic |
March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1921 |
|
redistricted from 15th district |
William Bourke Cockran |
Democratic |
March 4, 1921 – March 1, 1923 |
|
died in office |
vacant |
March 1, 1923 – November 6, 1923 |
|
|
John J. O'Connor |
Democratic |
November 6, 1923 – January 3, 1939 |
|
|
James H. Fay |
Democratic |
January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1941 |
|
|
William T. Pheiffer |
Republican |
January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943 |
|
|
James H. Fay |
Democratic |
January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945 |
|
|
Ellsworth B. Buck |
Republican |
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1949 |
|
redistricted from 11th district |
James J. Murphy |
Democratic |
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953 |
|
|
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. |
Democratic |
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1963 |
|
redistricted from 22nd district, redistricted to 18th district |
John M. Murphy |
Democratic |
January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1973 |
|
redistricted to 17th district |
Elizabeth Holtzman |
Democratic |
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1981 |
|
|
Charles E. Schumer |
Democratic |
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983 |
|
redistricted to 10th district |
Charles B. Rangel |
Democratic |
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 |
|
redistricted from 19th district, redistricted to 15th district |
José E. Serrano |
Democratic |
January 3, 1993 – present |
|
redistricted from 18th district, Incumbent |
The 16th District covered a Staten Island district in the 1960s, a Brooklyn district in the 1970s and the upper Manhattan seat in the 1980s. This Bronx district was originally the 21st District and later the 18th District.
Note that in New York State electoral politics there are numerous minor 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").