California's 17th congressional district
Encyclopedia
California's 17th congressional district is a congressional district
in the U.S. state
of California
that covers all of Monterey
and San Benito
counties, as well as part of Santa Cruz County
. It includes all of the coastal communities surrounding Monterey Bay
, the city of Salinas
, as well as the vast majority of the Salinas River Valley
, one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the United States. It is one of the only California congressional districts that has not been affected by gerrymandering
.
The district is currently representated
by Democrat
Sam Farr
.
Cecil R. King
won the special election to replace fellow Democrat Lee E. Geyer
, who died in office. Data for this special election is not available.
Congressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
that covers all of Monterey
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
and San Benito
San Benito County, California
San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and...
counties, as well as part of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
. It includes all of the coastal communities surrounding Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
, the city of Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, as well as the vast majority of the Salinas River Valley
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...
, one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the United States. It is one of the only California congressional districts that has not been affected by gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
.
The district is currently representated
112th United States Congress
The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January...
by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Sam Farr
Sam Farr
Samuel S. "Sam" Farr is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected to Congress in a 1993 special election when longtime Democratic Rep...
.
Voting
Election results from statewide races | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Office | Results |
2008 | President United States presidential election in California, 2008 The 2008 United States presidential election in California took place on November 4, 2008 in California as part of the 2008 United States presidential election. Voters chose 55 electors, the most out of any of the 50 states, to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice President.... |
Obama Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... 72.1 - 25.8% |
2006 | Governor California gubernatorial election, 2006 The 2006 California gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 2006. The primary elections took place on June 6, 2006. The incumbent Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, won re election for his first full term. His main opponent was California State Treasurer Phil Angelides, the... |
Schwarzenegger Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011.... 48.1 - 44.6% |
Senator | Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988.... 68.8 - 24.8% |
|
2004 | President | Kerry John Kerry John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W... 65.6 - 33.0% |
Senator United States Senate election in California, 2004 The 2004 United States Senate election in California took place on November 2, 2004 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator... |
Boxer Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives .... 66.0 - 28.9% |
|
2003 | Recall California recall election, 2003 The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall effort spanned the latter half of 2003... |
No 57.8 - 42.2% |
Bustamante Cruz Bustamante Cruz Miguel Bustamante is an American politician. He was the 45th Lieutenant Governor of California, a former Speaker of the State Assembly and a member of the Democratic Party... 40.0 - 37.8% |
||
2002 | Governor California gubernatorial election, 2002 The 2002 California gubernatorial election was an election that occurred on November 5, 2002. Democrat Gray Davis defeated Republican Bill Simon by 5% and was re-elected to a second four-year term as Governor of California. Davis would be recalled less than a year into his next term.The 2002... |
Davis Gray Davis Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003... 55.4 - 32.3% |
2000 | President United States presidential election in California, 2000 The 2000 United States presidential election in California took place on November 7, 2000 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2000 United States presidential election. Voters chose 54 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for President and Vice... |
Gore Al Gore Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.... 59.6 - 33.0% |
Senator United States Senate election in California, 2000 The 2000 United States Senate election in California was held on November 7, 2000. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election to her second full term.-Primary results:-Democratic:-Republican:-Green:-Reform:... |
Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988.... 58.3 - 32.5% |
|
1998 | Governor California gubernatorial election, 1998 The 1998 California gubernatorial election was an election that occurred on November 3, 1998, resulting in the election of Gray Davis, the state's first Democratic governor in 16 years. Davis won the general election by an almost 20% margin over his closest opponent, Republican Dan Lungren... |
|
Senator United States Senate election in California, 1998 The 1998 United States Senate election in California was held on November 2, 1998. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer won re-election to a second term.- Results :- Candidates :*John M. Brown, businessman*Linh Dao, activist... |
||
1996 | President United States presidential election in California, 1996 The 1996 United States presidential election in California took place on November 5, 1996 as part of the 1996 United States presidential election... |
|
1994 | Governor California gubernatorial election, 1994 The 1994 California gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, in the midst of that year's Republican Revolution. Incumbent Republican Pete Wilson easily won re-election over his main challenger, Democratic State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, the daughter of Pat Brown and younger sister of... |
|
Senator United States Senate election in California, 1994 The 1994 United States Senate election in California was held on November 8, 1994. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election to her first full term.-Primary results:-Democratic:-Republican:-Peace & Freedom:... |
||
1992 | President United States presidential election in California, 1992 The 1992 United States presidential election in California took place on November 3, 1992 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 1992 United States presidential election... |
Clinton Bill Clinton William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... 52.7 - 27.3% |
Senator United States Senate election in California, 1992 The 1992 United States Senate election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the special election to the United States Senate in California. Incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston decided to retire. Democrat Barbara Boxer won the open seat. Both of California's present... |
Boxer Barbara Boxer Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives .... 54.3 - 35.8% |
|
Senator United States Senate special election in California, 1992 The 1992 United States Senate special election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the regular election to the United States Senate in California. Both of California's present Senators were elected for the first time... |
Feinstein Dianne Feinstein Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988.... 63.2 - 30.5% |
List of representatives
Counties | Representative | Party | Dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
District created | March 4, 1933 | |||
Los Angeles Los Angeles County, California Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states... |
Charles J. Colden Charles J. Colden Charles J. Colden was a 20th century California politician who served in the Los Angeles City Council and the U.S. Congress.Charles J. Colden was a 20th century California politician who served in the Los Angeles City Council and the U.S. Congress.Charles J... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
March 4, 1933 – April 15, 1938 | Died |
Vacant | April 15, 1938 – January 3, 1939 | |||
Lee E. Geyer Lee E. Geyer Lee Edward Geyer was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in Wetmore, Kansas, Geyer attended the public schools.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1939 – October 11, 1941 | Died | |
Vacant | October 11, 1941 – August 25, 1942 | |||
Cecil R. King Cecil R. King Cecil Rhodes King was an American businessman and politician. King, a Democrat, served as the first member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 17th congressional district for fourteen terms, serving from August 1942 to January 1969... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
August 25, 1942 – January 3, 1969 | Retired | |
Glenn M. Anderson Glenn M. Anderson Glenn Malcolm Anderson was an American politician. He was the 37th Lieutenant Governor of California and later as congressman. He was a member of the Democratic Party.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 | Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to... to the |
|
Southern San Mateo San Mateo County, California San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and... , small part of northwestern Santa Clara Santa Clara County, California Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley... |
Pete McCloskey Pete McCloskey Paul Norton "Pete" McCloskey Jr. is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of California who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1983. He ran on an anti-war platform for the Republican nomination for President in 1972 but was defeated by incumbent President... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975 | Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to... from the , Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to... to the |
Eastern Fresno Fresno County, California Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county... , Kings Kings County, California Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford... , northwestern Tulare Tulare County, California Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border... |
John Hans Krebs John Hans Krebs John Hans Krebs is a former U.S. Representative from California.Born in Berlin, Germany, Krebs moved to Israel in 1933 and attended Balfour School , 1937.He graduated from Ben Yehuda College in 1945.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979 | Lost re-election to Pashayan |
Charles (Chip) Pashayan Charles (Chip) Pashayan Charles Pashayan, Jr. served as a Republican Congressman from the Fresno area in California's Central Valley from 1979 to 1991. He won his first term in 1978, when he upset two-term incumbent Democrat John Hans Krebs by a 54% to 46% margin. He represented his largely rural, conservative district... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1983 | ||
Eastern Fresno Fresno County, California Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county... , Kings Kings County, California Kings County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is located in a rich agricultural region. Kings County is also home to NAS Lemoore, which is the U.S. Navy's newest and largest master jet air station. The county seat is Hanford... , Kern Kern County, California Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally... (Bakersfield Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively.... ), Tulare Tulare County, California Tulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border... |
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1991 | Lost re-election to Dooley | ||
Cal Dooley Cal Dooley Calvin M. "Cal" Dooley , American politician, was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1991 to 2005, representing the 17th and 20th districts of California.... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993 | Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to... to the |
|
Monterey Monterey County, California Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas... , San Benito San Benito County, California San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U.S. state of California, south of San Jose. As of 2010 the population was 55,269. The county seat is Hollister, which includes nearly two-thirds of the county's population. El Camino Real passes through the county and... , southern Santa Cruz Santa Cruz County, California Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz... |
Leon Panetta Leon Panetta Leon Edward Panetta is the 23rd and current United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama since 2011. Prior to taking office, he served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
January 3, 1993 – January 23, 1993 | Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to... from the , Appointed Director of the OMB United States Office of Management and Budget The Office of Management and Budget is a Cabinet-level office, and is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States .The current OMB Director is Jacob Lew.-History:... |
Vacant | January 23, 1993 – June 8, 1993 | |||
Sam Farr Sam Farr Samuel S. "Sam" Farr is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was elected to Congress in a 1993 special election when longtime Democratic Rep... |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
June 8, 1993 – Present | Incumbent Incumbent The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W... |
Election results
1932 • 1934 • 1936 • 1938 • 1940 • 1942 (Special) • 1942 • 1944 • 1946 • 1948 • 1950 • 1952 • 1954 • 1956 • 1958 • 1960 • 1962 • 1964 • 1966 • 1968 • 1970 • 1972 • 1974 • 1976 • 1978 • 1980 • 1982 • 1984 • 1986 • 1988 • 1990 • 1992 • 1993 (Special) • 1994 • 1996 • 1998 • 2000 • 2002 • 2004 • 2006 • 2008 • 2010 |
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942 (Special)
DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Cecil R. King
Cecil R. King
Cecil Rhodes King was an American businessman and politician. King, a Democrat, served as the first member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 17th congressional district for fourteen terms, serving from August 1942 to January 1969...
won the special election to replace fellow Democrat Lee E. Geyer
Lee E. Geyer
Lee Edward Geyer was a U.S. Representative from California.Born in Wetmore, Kansas, Geyer attended the public schools....
, who died in office. Data for this special election is not available.