Alabama's 5th congressional district

Alabama's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama, which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives. It encompasses the counties of Lauderdale, Limestone, Madison, Morgan and most of Jackson.

Alabama's 5th congressional district
Alabama's 5th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Representative
  Mo Brooks
RHuntsville
Area4,689 sq mi (12,140 km2)
Distribution
  • 65.53% urban[1]
  • 34.47% rural
Population (2019)735,858[2]
Median household
income
$59,950[3]
Ethnicity
Occupation
Cook PVIR+18[4]

It is currently represented by Republican Mo Brooks, a former Madison County Commissioner. Brooks was elected in 2010 after defeating Democrat-turned-Republican incumbent Parker Griffith in the 2010 Republican primary. Brooks later went on to defeat Democratic nominee Steve Raby in the November general election.

Character

Two major economic projects have lastingly impacted the 5th district and have indelibly dictated the politics of North Alabama for most of the 20th Century. Before 1933, the Northern Alabama counties were characteristically poor, white and rural. The Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) arrival changed much of that, slowly transforming the demographic towards technical and engineering employees. The second major project was the space and rocketry programs including Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville where the first large U.S. Ballistic missiles were developed. Additionally, NASA built the Marshall Space Flight Center in the Huntsville-Decatur area during the 1960s. In the late 1950s Northern Alabama came to be dominated by the high-tech and engineering industries, a trend which has continued up to the present. In recent years, the United Launch Alliance has located its research center in Decatur. As a result, Huntsville has become the second largest and fastest growing metropolitan area in Alabama.

For a time, the district bucked the increasing Republican trend in Alabama. It was the only district in the state that supported Walter Mondale in 1984, but hasn't supported a Democrat for president since then. Democrats continue to hold most offices at the local level, and continued to hold most of the district's seats in the Alabama state legislature until the Republicans swept nearly all of north Alabama's seats in 2010. In the mid-1990s, it was a seriously contested seat, with longtime Democratic incumbent Bud Cramer winning reelection by only 1,770 votes in 1994. However, Cramer was elected five more times with 70 percent or more of the vote and even ran unopposed in the Democratic landslide year of 2006. Cramer did not seek reelection in 2008. Parker Griffith, a retired oncologist and State Senator, won the open seat in November 2008. However, in December 2009, Griffith became a Republican. Until Griffith's switch, the district had been one of the last in the former Confederacy not to have sent a Republican to the U.S. Congress since Reconstruction. Griffith was ousted in the Republican primary by current Representative Mo Brooks.

George W. Bush won 60% of the vote in this district in 2004. John McCain also carried the 5th district in 2008 with 60.91% of the vote while Barack Obama received 37.99%.

Recent election results from statewide races

Year Office Results
2000 President Bush 54–44%
2004 President Bush 60–39%
2008 President McCain 61–38%
2012 President Romney 64–35%
2016 President Trump 65–31%

List of members representing the district

Representative Party Years Congress Electoral history
District created on March 4, 1833

John Murphy
Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1835
23rd Elected in 1832.
Retired.

Francis Strother Lyon
Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1835 –
March 3, 1837
24th
25th
Elected in 1834.
Re-elected in 1836.
Retired.
Whig March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1839

James Dellet
Whig March 4, 1839 –
March 3, 1841
26th Elected in 1838.
Redistricted to the at-large district and lost re-election.
None March 4, 1841 –
March 3, 1843
27th District inactive, all representatives elected at-large.

George S. Houston
Democratic March 4, 1843 –
March 4, 1849
28th
29th
30th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1842.
Re-elected in 1844.
Re-elected in 1846.
Retired.
David Hubbard Democratic March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1851
31st Elected in 1848.
Lost re-election.

George S. Houston
Democratic March 4, 1851 –
January 21, 1861
32nd
33rd
34th
35th
36th
Elected in 1850.
Re-elected in 1852.
Re-elected in 1854.
Re-elected in 1856.
Re-elected in 1858.
Withdrew due to Civil War.
Vacant January 21, 1861 –
July 21, 1868
36th
37th
38th
39th
40th
Civil War and Reconstruction

John Benton Callis
Republican July 21, 1868 –
March 3, 1869
40th Elected to finish the vacant term.
Retired.
Peter Myndert Dox Democratic March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1873
41st
42nd
Elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
Retired.
John Henry Caldwell Democratic March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1877
43rd
44th
Elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
Retired.

Robert F. Ligon
Democratic March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879
45th Elected in 1876.
Lost renomination.
Thomas Williams Democratic March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1885
46th
47th
48th
Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Re-elected in 1882.
Retired.
Thomas William Sadler Democratic March 4, 1885 –
March 3, 1887
49th Elected in 1884.
Lost renomination.

James E. Cobb
Democratic March 4, 1887 –
April 21, 1896
50th
51st
52nd
53rd
54th
Elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Lost 1894 contested election.

Albert Taylor Goodwyn
Populist April 21, 1896 –
March 3, 1897
54th Won 1894 contested election.
Lost re-election.
Willis Brewer Democratic March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1901
55th
56th
Elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Lost renomination.

Charles Winston Thompson
Democratic March 4, 1901 –
March 20, 1904
57th
58th
Elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Died.
Vacant March 20, 1904 –
May 19, 1904
58th

James Thomas Heflin
Democratic May 19, 1904 –
November 1, 1920
58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd
63rd
64th
65th
66th
Elected to finish Thompson's term.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Retired to run for U.S. senator and resigned when elected.
Vacant November 1, 1920 –
December 14, 1920
66th

William B. Bowling
Democratic December 14, 1920 –
August 16, 1928
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th
Elected to finish Heflin's term.
Also elected to the next full term.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Resigned to become judge for 5th Alabama Circuit.
Vacant August 16, 1928 –
November 6, 1928
70th
LaFayette L. Patterson Democratic November 6, 1928 –
March 3, 1933
70th
71st
72nd
Elected to finish Bowling's term.
Also elected to the next term the same day in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Lost renomination.

Miles C. Allgood
Democratic March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1935
73rd Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1932.
Lost renomination.
Joe Starnes Democratic January 3, 1935 –
January 3, 1945
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th
Elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Lost renomination.

Albert Rains
Democratic January 3, 1945 –
January 3, 1963
79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
Elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Redistricted to the at-large district.
None January 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1965
88th District inactive, all representatives elected at-large.

Armistead I. Selden Jr.
Democratic January 3, 1965 –
January 3, 1969
89th
90th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Retired to run for U.S. senator.

Walter Flowers
Democratic January 3, 1969 –
January 3, 1973
91st
92nd
Elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Redistricted to the 7th district.

Robert E. Jones Jr.
Democratic January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1977
93rd
94th
Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired.

Ronnie Flippo
Democratic January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1991
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Retired to run for Governor of Alabama.

Robert E. Cramer
Democratic January 3, 1991 –
January 3, 2009
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
110th
Elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Retired.

Parker Griffith
Democratic January 3, 2009 –
December 22, 2009
111th Elected in 2008.
Switched parties.
Lost renomination.
Republican December 22, 2009 –
January 3, 2011

Mo Brooks
Republican January 3, 2011 –
present
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.

Recent election results

2006

2006 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Robert E. Cramer (incumbent) 143,015 98.25%
Write-in 2,540 1.75%
Total votes 145,555 100%
Democratic hold

2008

2008 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Parker Griffith 158,324 51.52%
Republican Wayne Parker 147,314 47.94%
Write-in 1,644 0.54%
Total votes 307,282 100%
Democratic hold

2010

2010 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 131,109 57.94%
Democratic Steve Raby 95,192 42.06%
Total votes 226,301 100%
Republican hold

2012

2012 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 188,924 65.04%
Democratic Charlie L. Holley 101,536 34.96%
Total votes 290,460 100%
Republican hold

2014

2014 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 115,338 74.42%
Independent Mark Bray 39,305 25.36%
Write-in 631 0.41%
Total votes 154,974 100%
Republican hold

2016

2016 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 205,647 66.70%
Democratic Will Boyd 102,234 33.16%
Write-in 445 0.14%
Total votes 308,326 100%
Republican hold

2018

2018 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 159,063 61.02%
Democratic Peter Joffrion 101,388 38.43%
Write-in 222 0.09%
Total votes 260,673 100%
Republican hold

2020

2020 Alabama's 5th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 253,094 95.8
Write-in 11,066 4.2
Total votes 264,160 100.0
Republican hold

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Historical district boundaries

2003–2013

See also

References

Specific
General
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