West Virginia's 2nd congressional district
Encyclopedia
West Virginia's 2nd congressional district stretches from the Ohio River
border with Ohio
to the Potomac River
border with Maryland
and the border with Virginia
. It includes the capital city of Charleston
and the rapidly growing residential communities of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands regions connected by a narrow strip of nearly unpopulated counties. It has been accurately described as 20 miles wide and 300 miles long.
The district is currently represented by Shelley Moore Capito
, a Republican and the daughter of former Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr.
Capito is the first Republican from West Virginia to serve more than one term in Congress
since her father, who represented West Virginia's 1st congressional district
from 1957 to 1969.
The district owes its size and odd shape to the issue of gun control
. West Virginia had four Congressional seats from 1973 to 1993. Previously, much of the western portion of the current 2nd District had been the 3rd District, based in Charleston. The eastern portion of the district had been the 2nd District, based in Martinsburg
. From 1983 to 1993, the 2nd District's congressman was Democrat Harley "Buckey" Staggers, Jr.
, a strong supporter of the NRA
. When West Virginia lost a seat following the 1990 Census, the state legislature divided Staggers's district among the remaining three districts. Much of Staggers's old territory was merged with the 3rd District, represented by five-term Democrat Bob Wise
and renumbered the 2nd. However, Staggers's home in Mineral County
wound up in the 1st District, where he was routed in the Democratic primary by Alan Mollohan
. Wise represented the new district until 2000, when he ran for and won West Virginia's governorship. Following the 2010 Census Mason County
was transferred to the 3rd District, which will change the character of the district only slightly. This change will take effect for the 2012 election.http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB1008%20Map.pdf
The district is very expensive to campaign in, because six counties on the district's eastern fringe are in the very expensive Washington, D.C.
television market. The two main parts, Charleston and the Eastern Panhandle, have very little in common and very little interaction.
The district is slightly more conservative and prosperous than the rest of the state, though Capito's voting record has been relatively moderate. It also shares West Virginia's tendency to give congressmen long tenures in Washington. Only seven people have represented the district's current seat since 1945; indeed, the 2000 election that resulted in Capito's victory marked the first open-seat race in the district since 1945. The old 2nd District had only five congressmen from 1933 until its elimination in 1993.
George W. Bush
carried the district both times in 2000
with 54% of the vote and in 2004
with 57% of the vote. John McCain
also won the district in 2008
with 54.63% of the vote while Barack Obama
received 43.77%.
1992 first saw the district as currently constituted, consisting of Berkeley, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Glimer, Hampshire, Hardy, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Mason, Morgan, Micholas, Pendleton, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Upshur, and Wirt counties. In 2002, Gilmer was removed and for the election cycle beginning in 2012, Mason was removed.
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
border with Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
border with Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and the border with Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It includes the capital city of Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
and the rapidly growing residential communities of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands regions connected by a narrow strip of nearly unpopulated counties. It has been accurately described as 20 miles wide and 300 miles long.
The district is currently represented by Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Moore Capito is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. She is a member of the Republican Party...
, a Republican and the daughter of former Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr.
Arch A. Moore, Jr.
Arch Alfred Moore, Jr. was the 28th and 30th Governor of West Virginia from 1969 until 1977 and from 1985 until 1989. He was a Congressman from 1957 until entering the governor's office. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. He ran for reelection in 1988, but was defeated by...
Capito is the first Republican from West Virginia to serve more than one term in Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
since her father, who represented West Virginia's 1st congressional district
West Virginia's 1st congressional district
West Virginia's 1st congressional district is located in the northern part of the state. It is the most regularly drawn of the state's three districts....
from 1957 to 1969.
The district owes its size and odd shape to the issue of gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
. West Virginia had four Congressional seats from 1973 to 1993. Previously, much of the western portion of the current 2nd District had been the 3rd District, based in Charleston. The eastern portion of the district had been the 2nd District, based in Martinsburg
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
. From 1983 to 1993, the 2nd District's congressman was Democrat Harley "Buckey" Staggers, Jr.
Harley O. Staggers, Jr.
Harley O. "Buckey" Staggers, Jr. is a Democratic U.S. politician. He graduated from Harvard University and the West Virginia University College of Law, served as an assistant West Virginia Attorney General, served one term in the West Virginia Senate, and served five terms in the United States...
, a strong supporter of the NRA
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
. When West Virginia lost a seat following the 1990 Census, the state legislature divided Staggers's district among the remaining three districts. Much of Staggers's old territory was merged with the 3rd District, represented by five-term Democrat Bob Wise
Bob Wise
Robert Ellsworth "Bob" Wise, Jr. is an American politician. A Democrat, Wise served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from January 2001 to January 2005.-Early life:...
and renumbered the 2nd. However, Staggers's home in Mineral County
Mineral County, West Virginia
Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 28,212. Its county seat is Keyser.-Ancient history:...
wound up in the 1st District, where he was routed in the Democratic primary by Alan Mollohan
Alan Mollohan
Alan Bowlby Mollohan is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
. Wise represented the new district until 2000, when he ran for and won West Virginia's governorship. Following the 2010 Census Mason County
Mason County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 25,957 people, 10,587 households, and 7,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 12,056 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
was transferred to the 3rd District, which will change the character of the district only slightly. This change will take effect for the 2012 election.http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/2011/1x/maps/senate/Enr%20SB1008%20Map.pdf
The district is very expensive to campaign in, because six counties on the district's eastern fringe are in the very expensive Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
television market. The two main parts, Charleston and the Eastern Panhandle, have very little in common and very little interaction.
The district is slightly more conservative and prosperous than the rest of the state, though Capito's voting record has been relatively moderate. It also shares West Virginia's tendency to give congressmen long tenures in Washington. Only seven people have represented the district's current seat since 1945; indeed, the 2000 election that resulted in Capito's victory marked the first open-seat race in the district since 1945. The old 2nd District had only five congressmen from 1933 until its elimination in 1993.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
carried the district both times in 2000
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
with 54% of the vote and in 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
with 57% of the vote. John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
also won the district in 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
with 54.63% of the vote while Barack 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...
received 43.77%.
History
The Second District as originally formed in 1863 included Taylor, Marion, Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Barbour, Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, Randolph, Pendleton, Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, and Morgan counties (Jefferson county's status in the state was still in dispute, and Grant and Mineral counties were still part of other counties, but the modern territory of all was also included). The district was unchanged for 1882. In 1902, the district was changed to Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Taylor, Barbour, Tucker, Randolph, Pendleton, Grant, Hardy, Mineral, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties. The district was unchanged for 1916. Taylor was removed for 1934. The district was again unchanged for 1954. In 1962 Upshur, Webster, Pocahontas, and Greenbrier counties were added. In 1972, Lewis, Monroe, Summers, and Fayette were added. In 1982, Barbour was added.1992 first saw the district as currently constituted, consisting of Berkeley, Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Glimer, Hampshire, Hardy, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Mason, Morgan, Micholas, Pendleton, Putnam, Randolph, Roane, Upshur, and Wirt counties. In 2002, Gilmer was removed and for the election cycle beginning in 2012, Mason was removed.
List of representatives
| Representative | Party | Years | District home | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created | December 7, 1863 | |||
| William G. Brown, Sr. William G. Brown, Sr. William Gay Brown, Sr. was a nineteenth century politician and lawyer from Virginia and West Virginia. He was the father of William G. Brown, Jr..-Biography:... |
Unconditional Unionist Unconditional Union Party The Unconditional Union Party was a loosely organized political entity during the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. First established in 1861 in Missouri, where secession talk was strong, the party fully supported the preservation of the Union at all costs... |
December 7, 1863 - March 4, 1865 | ||
| George R. Latham George R. Latham George Robert Latham was a nineteenth century politician and lawyer from Virginia and West Virginia and colonel of Company B of the 2nd West Virginia Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.-Biography:... |
Unconditional Unionist Unconditional Union Party The Unconditional Union Party was a loosely organized political entity during the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. First established in 1861 in Missouri, where secession talk was strong, the party fully supported the preservation of the Union at all costs... |
March 4, 1865 - March 4, 1867 | ||
| Bethuel Kitchen Bethuel Kitchen Bethuel Middleton Kitchen was a nineteenth century politician from Virginia and West Virginia.Born in Ganotown, Virginia , Kitchen attended the common schools as a child and later engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising... |
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... |
March 4, 1867 - March 4, 1869 | ||
| James McGrew James McGrew James Clark McGrew was an American politician, merchant, banker and hospital director from Virginia and West Virginia.... |
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... |
March 4, 1869 - March 4, 1873 | ||
| John Hagans John Hagans John Marshall Hagans was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and judge from Virginia and West Virginia.... |
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... |
March 4, 1873 - March 4, 1875 | ||
| Charles J. Faulkner Charles J. Faulkner Charles James Faulkner was a nineteenth century politician and lawyer from Virginia and West Virginia. He was the father of Charles James Faulkner.... |
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, 1875 – March 4, 1877 | ||
| Benjamin F. Martin Benjamin F. Martin Benjamin Franklin Martin was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and teacher from Virginia and West Virginia.... |
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, 1877 – March 4, 1881 | ||
| John B. Hoge John B. Hoge John B. Hoge was a journalist, lawyer, and Democratic politician who served as a United States Representative from West Virginia. He was born in Richmond, Virginia on February 2, 1825. He was a member of the 47th United States Congress. He died in 1896.... |
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, 1881 – March 4, 1883 | ||
| William L. Wilson William Lyne Wilson William Lyne Wilson was a Bourbon Democrat politician and lawyer from West Virginia.-Biography:Born in Charles Town, Virginia , Wilson attended Charles Town Academy, graduated from Columbian College in 1860 and subsequently studied at the University of Virginia... |
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, 1883 – March 4, 1895 | ||
| Alston G. Dayton Alston G. Dayton Alston Gordon Dayton was a Republican politician from West Virginia who served as a United States Representative, and later as a United States federal judge.... |
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... |
March 4, 1895 - March 16, 1905 | Resigned after being appointed as a judge of US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia The United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit The United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (in case citations, N.D. W.Va.) is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit The United States District Court... |
|
| Vacant | March 16, 1905 – June 6, 1905 | |||
| Thomas B. Davis Thomas Beall Davis Thomas Beall Davis , of Keyser, West Virginia, was an American politician.-Biography:Davis was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the brother of Henry Gassaway Davis.... |
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 6, 1905 – March 4, 1907 | ||
| George C. Sturgiss George Cookman Sturgiss George Cookman Sturgiss was a lawyer and Republican politician from West Virginia who served as a United States Representative. He was a member of the 60th and 61st United States Congresses-Biography:... |
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... |
March 4, 1907 - March 4, 1911 | ||
| William G. Brown, Jr. William Gay Brown, Jr. William Gay Brown, Jr. was a lawyer, and Democratic politician from West Virginia who served as a United States Representative. Congressman Brown was born in Kingwood, West Virginia in Preston County on April 7, 1856. He was the son of William G. Brown, Sr.. He served as a member of the 62nd,... |
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, 1911 – March 9, 1916 | Died | |
| Vacant | March 9, 1916 – May 9, 1916 | |||
| George M. Bowers George M. Bowers George Meade Bowers was an American politician who represented West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives from 1916-1923.-Biography:... |
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... |
May 9, 1916 - March 4, 1923 | ||
| Robert E. L. Allen Robert E. Lee Allen Robert Edward Lee Allen was a U.S. Representative from West Virginia.-Biography:Born in Lima, Tyler County, West Virginia, Allen attended the country schools, Fairmont Normal School, and Peabody College, Nashville, Tennessee.He was graduated from the literary department of the West Virginia... |
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, 1923 – March 9, 1925 | ||
| Frank L. Bowman Frank L. Bowman Frank Llewellyn Bowman was an American politician who represented West Virginia in the United States House of Representatives from 1925-1933.-Biography:... |
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... |
March 4, 1925 - March 4, 1933 | ||
| Jennings Randolph Jennings Randolph Jennings Randolph was an American politician from West Virginia. He was a member of the Democratic Party and was the last surviving member of the United States Congress to have served during the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration.-Early life and career:Randolph was born in... |
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 – January 3, 1947 | ||
| Melvin C. Snyder Melvin C. Snyder Melvin Claude Snyder was an attorney and a Republican politician who served as a United States Representative from West Virginia. He was born in Albright, Preston County, West Virginia on October 29, 1898. He was a member of the Eightieth Congress. He died August 5, 1972.He attended the public... |
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... |
March 4, 1947 - March 4, 1949 | ||
| Harley O. Staggers Harley Orrin Staggers Harley Orrin Staggers, Sr. was a Democratic U.S. politician.-Education:Staggers graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1931 and did graduate work at Duke University.-Career:... |
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, 1949 - January 3, 1981 | ||
| Cleve Benedict Cleve Benedict Cleveland Keith Benedict , better known as Cleve Benedict, is a retired Republican politician from West Virginia.Benedict was born in 1935 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was educated in public and private schools and then graduated from Princeton University in 1957... |
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, 1981 - January 3, 1983 | ||
| Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Harley O. Staggers, Jr. Harley O. "Buckey" Staggers, Jr. is a Democratic U.S. politician. He graduated from Harvard University and the West Virginia University College of Law, served as an assistant West Virginia Attorney General, served one term in the West Virginia Senate, and served five terms in the United States... |
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, 1983 - January 3, 1993 | ||
| Bob Wise Bob Wise Robert Ellsworth "Bob" Wise, Jr. is an American politician. A Democrat, Wise served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from January 2001 to January 2005.-Early life:... |
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 3, 2001 | 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 |
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| Shelley M. Capito Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Moore Capito is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. She is a member of the Republican Party... |
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, 2001 – 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... |
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