| Washington's 1st congressional district | ||
|---|---|---|
| Current Representative | Jay Inslee (D–Bainbridge Island) | |
| Population (2000) | 654,904 | |
| Median income | $58,565 | |
| Ethnicity | 83.8% White, 1.8% Black, 7.9% Asian, 4.3% Hispanic, 0.9% Native American, 0.6% other | |
| Cook PVI | D+9 | |
Washington's 1st congressional district encompasses part of Northwest Seattle and largely suburban areas north and east of Seattle including Shoreline, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Bothell, Kirkland and Redmond as well as Bainbridge Island and part of the Kitsap Peninsula. It is currently represented by Democrat Jay Inslee from Bainbridge Island. From 1993 to 1995, Inslee had represented Washington's Fourth District in the central part of the state.
The former House seat of powerful U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson, the First District was a swing district throughout much of the 1990s, changing hands and parties three times in four elections. Before the election of future U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell in 1992, the district had been in Republican hands for 40 years (and 42 of the previous 46 years). Since the 1998 election when Inslee was first elected, the growing Democratic trend in the Seattle area has enabled Inslee to turn it into a fairly safe seat. He has been reelected five times with little difficulty, most recently in 2008. James Watkins and Matthew Burke have both announced candidacies as Republicans for the 2010 election. [1] [2] [3]
At the presidential level, the 1st District leans Democratic. Al Gore carried the district in 2000 with 53% of the vote, and John Kerry won it with 56% of the vote in 2004. The district swung even more Democratic in 2008, giving Barack Obama 62% of the vote and 36% to John McCain.
Beginning in 1909, members were elected from districted seats, instead of At-large statewide. (See Washington's At-large congressional district.)
| Representative | Party | Term | District Home | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | March 4, 1909 | |||
| William E. Humphrey | Republican | March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1917 | Redistricted from the At-large seat | |
| John F. Miller | Republican | March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1931 | ||
| Ralph A. Horr | Republican | March 4, 1931 – March 3, 1933 | ||
| Marion Zioncheck | Democratic | March 4, 1933 – August 7, 1936 | Died | |
| Vacant | August 7, 1936 – January 3, 1937 | |||
| Warren G. Magnuson | Democratic | January 3, 1937 – December 13, 1944 | Resigned after being appointed to the US Senate | |
| Vacant | December 13, 1944 – January 3, 1945 | |||
| Emerson H. DeLacy | Democratic | January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 | ||
| Homer R. Jones | Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 | ||
| Hugh B. Mitchell | Democratic | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953 | ||
| Thomas M. Pelly | Republican | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1973 | ||
| Joel M. Pritchard | Republican | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1985 | ||
| John R. Miller | Republican | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993 | ||
| Maria E. Cantwell | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | Lost re-election to Rick White | |
| Rick White | Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999 | Lost re-election to Jay Inslee | |
| Jay Inslee | Democratic | January 3, 1999 – present | Incumbent | |
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