Nebraska's 3rd congressional district
| Nebraska's 3rd congressional district | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Current Representative | Adrian Smith (R–Gering) | |
| Distribution | 46.21% urban, 53.79% rural | |
| Population (2000) | 570,571 | |
| Median income | $33,866 | |
| Ethnicity | 94.4% White, 0.3% Black, 0.5% Asian, 6.0% Hispanic, 0.8% Native American, 0.1% other | |
| Cook PVI | R+23 | |
Nebraska's 3rd congressional district seat encompasses the western three-fourths of the state; it is one of the largest non-at-large Congressional districts in the country, covering nearly 65,000 square miles (170,000 km2), two time zones and 68.5 counties. It includes Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, North Platte, and Scottsbluff.
Nebraska has had at least three congressional districts since 1883. The district's current configuration dates from 1963, when Nebraska lost a seat as a result of the 1960 United States Census. At that time, most of the old 3rd and 4th districts were merged to form the new 3rd District.
The district is one of the most Republican districts in the nation. Democrats have only come close to winning this district twice as currently drawn, in 1974 and 2006; and Republican presidential and gubernatorial candidates routinely carry the district with margins of 70 percent or more. Although Nebraska's state legislature is elected on a nonpartisan basis, all but one state senator representing a significant portion of the district is known to be a Republican.
It is currently held by Republican Adrian Smith. The previous congressman, Tom Osborne, did not seek reelection in order to wage an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination for governor of Nebraska.
List of representatives
| Congress | Representative | Party | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48th | Edward K. Valentine | Republican | March 4, 1883 – March 4, 1885 |
Also served as a Nebraska at-large congressman (46th and 47th Congress); Chair of Committee on Agriculture (47th Congress); Retired |
| 49th | George W. E. Dorsey | Republican | March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1891 |
Chair of Committee on Banking and Currency (51st Congress); Lost re-election |
| 50th | ||||
| 51st | ||||
| 52nd | Omer Madison Kem | Populist | March 4, 1891 – March 4, 1893 |
Redistricted to the 6th district |
| 53rd | George de Rue Meiklejohn | Republican | March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897 |
Retired |
| 54th | ||||
| 55th | Samuel Maxwell | Populist | March 4, 1897 – March 4, 1899 |
Retired |
| 56th | John Seaton Robinson | Democratic | March 4, 1899 – March 4, 1903 |
Lost re-election |
| 57th | ||||
| 58th | John J. McCarthy | Republican | March 4, 1903 – March 4, 1907 |
Lost renomination |
| 59th | ||||
| 60th | John Frank Boyd | Republican | March 4, 1907 – March 4, 1909 |
Lost re-election |
| 61st | James P. Latta | Democratic | March 4, 1909 – September 11, 1911 |
Died in office |
| 62nd | ||||
| Vacant | September 11, 1911 – November 7, 1911 | |||
| 62nd | Dan V. Stephens | Democratic | November 7, 1911 – March 4, 1919 |
Won special election held in 1911 to fill Latta's vacant seat; Lost re-election |
| 63rd | ||||
| 64th | ||||
| 65th | ||||
| 66th | Robert E. Evans | Republican | March 4, 1919 – March 4, 1923 |
Lost re-election |
| 67th | ||||
| 68th | Edgar Howard | Democratic | March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1935 |
Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Indian Affairs (72nd and 73rd Congress); Lost re-election |
| 69th | ||||
| 70th | ||||
| 71st | ||||
| 72nd | ||||
| 73rd | ||||
| 74th | Karl Stefan | Republican | January 3, 1935 – October 2, 1951 |
Died in office |
| 75th | ||||
| 76th | ||||
| 77th | ||||
| 78th | ||||
| 79th | ||||
| 80th | ||||
| 81st | ||||
| 82nd | ||||
| 82nd | Vacant | October 2, 1951 – December 4, 1951 | ||
| 82nd | Robert Dinsmore Harrison | Republican | December 4, 1951 – January 3, 1959 |
Won special election held in 1951 to fill Stefan's vacant seat; Lost re-election |
| 83rd | ||||
| 84th | ||||
| 85th | ||||
| 86th | Lawrence Brock | Democratic | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961 |
Lost re-election |
| 87th | Ralph F. Beermann | Republican | January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963 |
Changed districts and was elected to represent Nebraska's 1st Congressional District in the 88th Congress |
| 88th | David T. Martin | Republican | January 3, 1963 – December 31, 1974 |
Retired |
| 89th | ||||
| 90th | ||||
| 91st | ||||
| 92nd | ||||
| 93rd | ||||
| 94th | Virginia Smith | Republican | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1991 |
Only woman from Nebraska to serve in the U.S. House; Retired |
| 95th | ||||
| 96th | ||||
| 97th | ||||
| 98th | ||||
| 99th | ||||
| 100th | ||||
| 101st | ||||
| 102nd | Bill Barrett | Republican | January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2001 |
Retired |
| 103rd | ||||
| 104th | ||||
| 105th | ||||
| 106th | ||||
| 107th | Tom Osborne | Republican | January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 |
Retired to run for Governor of Nebraska |
| 108th | ||||
| 109th | ||||
| 110th | Adrian Smith | Republican | January 3, 2007 – Present |
Still in office |
| 111th | ||||
| 112th | ||||
Historical district boundaries
See also
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
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