Texas's 17th congressional district

Texas's 17th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes a strip of central Texas stretching from Waco to Bryan-College Station, including former President George W. Bush's McLennan County ranch.[5][6] The district is currently represented by Republican Pete Sessions.

"TX-17" redirects here. TX-17 may also refer to Texas State Highway 17.

Texas's 17th congressional district
Texas's 17th congressional district – since January 3, 2013.
Representative
  Pete Sessions
R–Waco
Distribution
  • 75.28% urban[1]
  • 24.72% rural
Population (2019)786,023[2]
Median household
income		$58,929[3]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+12[4]

From 2005 to 2013, it was an oblong district stretching from south of Tarrant County to Grimes County in the southeast. The 2012 redistricting made its area more square, removing the northern and southeastern portions, adding areas southwest into the northern Austin suburbs and east into Freestone and Leon counties. The district includes two major universities, Texas A&M University in College Station and Baylor University in Waco.

Before 2005, the district stretched from the Abilene area to the outer western fringes of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Representation

After the 2003 Texas redistricting, engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, TX-17 was (along with MS-4) the most heavily Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, which rated it R+20.[7] The district was drawn to make it Republican-dominated and unseat its longtime incumbent, conservative Democrat Chet Edwards. While several of his colleagues were defeated by Republicans in 2004, Edwards held on to the seat in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 elections.

But in the 2010 Congressional elections, the district elected Republican Bill Flores over Edwards by a margin of 61.8% to 36.6%.[8] Flores was the first Republican to be elected to represent the district since its creation in 1919. Flores retired after five terms and former Texas 32nd district Congressman Pete Sessions, a Waco native, was elected in 2020.

After passage of civil rights legislation and other changes, through the late 20th and early 21st centuries, white conservatives began to shift into the Republican Party in Texas. They first supported presidential candidates, and gradually more Republicans for local, state and national office, resulting in the 2010 switch in party representation.

List of members representing the district
Member
(Residence)		 Party Years Cong
ress		 Electoral history
District created March 4, 1919

Thomas L. Blanton
(Abilene)		 Democratic March 4, 1919 –
March 3, 1929		 66th
67th
68th
69th
70th		 Redistricted from the 16th district and re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator (lost nomination).

Robert Q. Lee
(Cisco)		 Democratic March 4, 1929 –
April 18, 1930		 71st Elected in 1928.
Died.
Vacant April 18, 1930 –
May 20, 1930

Thomas L. Blanton
(Abilene)		 Democratic May 20, 1930 –
January 3, 1937		 71st
72nd
73rd
74th		 Elected to finish Lee's term.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Lost renomination.

Clyde L. Garrett
(Eastland)		 Democratic January 3, 1937 –
January 3, 1941		 75th
76th		 Elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Lost renomination.

Sam M. Russell
(Stephenville)		 Democratic January 3, 1941 –
January 3, 1947		 77th
78th
79th		 Elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Retired.

Omar Burleson
(Anson)		 Democratic January 3, 1947 –
December 31, 1978		 80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
95th		 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.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Retired then resigned.
Vacant December 31, 1978 –
January 3, 1979		 95th

Charles Stenholm
(Abilene)		 Democratic January 3, 1979 –
January 3, 2005		 96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th		 Elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-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.
Redistricted to the 19th district and lost re-election.

Chet Edwards
(Waco)		 Democratic January 3, 2005 –
January 3, 2011		 109th
110th
111th		 Redistricted from the 11th district and re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Lost re-election.

Bill Flores
(Bryan)		 Republican January 3, 2011 –
January 3, 2021		 112th
113th
114th
115th
116th		 Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Retired.

Pete Sessions
(Waco)		 Republican January 3, 2021 –
Present		 117th Elected in 2020.

Election results
US House election, 2020: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Pete Sessions 171,390 55.9 -0.9
Democratic Rick Kennedy 125,565 40.92 -0.4
Libertarian Ted Brown 9,918 3.2 +1.3
Majority 45,825 14.9
Turnout 306,873
Republican hold Swing -0.9


US House election, 2018: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores 134,841 56.8 -4.01
Democratic Rick Kennedy 98,070 41.3 +6.06
Libertarian Clark Patterson 4,440 1.9 -2.05
Majority 36,771 15.5
Turnout 237,351
Republican hold Swing -4.01
US House election, 2016: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores 149,417 60.81 -3.77
Democratic William Matta 86,603 35.24 +2.84
Libertarian Clark Patterson 9,708 3.95 +0.93
Majority 53,106 21.6
Turnout 245,728
Republican hold Swing -3.77
US House election, 2014: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores 85,807 64.58 -15.35
Democratic Nick Haynes 43,049 32.4
Libertarian Shawn Michael Hamilton 4,009 3.02 -17.05
Majority 38,749 29.16
Turnout 132,865
Republican hold Swing -15.35
US House election, 2012: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores 143,284[9] 79.93 +34.8
Libertarian Ben Easton 35,978 20.07 119
Majority 107,306
Turnout 179,262 4.23
Republican hold Swing +18.14
US House election, 2010: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Bill Flores 106,275 61.79 +16.28
Democratic Chet Edwards 62,926 36.59 -16.39
Libertarian Richard Kelly 2,787 1.62 +0.11
Majority 43,349 25.2 +17.73
Turnout 171,988
Republican gain from Democratic Swing +16.34
US House election, 2008: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chet Edwards 134,592 52.98 -5.14
Republican Rob Curnock 115,581 45.51 +5.21
Libertarian Gardner C. Osbourne 3,849 1.51 -0.07
Majority 19,011 7.47 -10.35
Turnout 254,022
Democratic hold Swing -5.18
US House election, 2006: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chet Edwards 92,478 58.12 +6.92
Republican Van Taylor 64,142 40.30 -7.11
Libertarian Guillermo Acosta 2,504 1.58 +0.19
Majority 28,336 17.82 +14.03
Turnout 159,124
Democratic hold Swing +7.02
US House election, 2004: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Chet Edwards 125,309 51.20 -0.17
Republican Arlene Wohlgemuth 116,049 47.41 +0.03
Libertarian Clyde Garland 3,390 1.39 +0.14
Majority 9,260 3.79 -0.19
Turnout 244,748
Democratic hold Swing -0.1
US House election, 2002: Texas District 17
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Charlie Stenholm 84,136 51.37
Republican Rob Beckham 77,622 47.38
Libertarian Fred Jones 2,046 1.25
Majority 6,514 3.98
Turnout 163,804
Democratic hold Swing

Historical district boundaries
2007 – 2013

See also

References
  1. Geography, US Census Bureau. "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (state-based)". www.census.gov.
  2. Bureau, Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  3. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  4. "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  5. "Pelosi continues to tout Texas Rep. Chet Edwards for VP". Texas on the Potomac (blog). Houston Chronicle. August 3, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2012.
  6. Vlahos, Kelley (March 7, 2006). "Texas Rep. Edwards Beats Odds, but Faces Iraq War Vet in Midterm". Fox News. Retrieved March 25, 2007.
  7. Texas 17th District Profile Congressional Quarterly. May 14, 2010.
  8. 2010 Texas Election Results New York Times. November 13, 2010.
  9. United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2012#District 17

Sources

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