West Virginia's 3rd congressional district

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district since January 3, 2013
Representative	Carol Miller R–Huntington
Distribution	40.16% urban 59.84% rural
Population (2016)	591,121
Median income	$36,000
Ethnicity	94.4% white 4.1% black 0.4% Asian 0.6% Hispanic 0.2% Native American 0.0% other
Cook PVI	R+23

West Virginia's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in southern West Virginia. The district covers the state's second largest city, Huntington, includes Bluefield, Princeton and Beckley, and has a long history of coal mining (especially in the southwestern counties), forestry and farming.

The district is currently represented by Republican Carol Miller.

Character

The modern district has grown in geographic size over the years, as it contains the area of the state that has lost the most population. Most of the congressmen listed below prior to the 1992 election cycle actually represented other parts of the state, as most of the modern 3rd District's history is found in the obsolete 4th, 5th, and 6th Districts.

The modern 3rd District began to take shape in the 1960s. For much of its history, the 4th district had been focused on Huntington and the mill towns and farm communities north of that city along the Ohio River, while the 5th and 6th Districts were focused on the then safely Democratic coal fields. In the 1970 redistricting, the 5th (which had absorbed most of the 6th due to population loss 10 years earlier) was eliminated, and most of its territory was merged into the 4th to form what is now the western half of the modern 3rd. In the 1990 redistricting the old 4th was renumbered as the 3rd and took in what is now the eastern half of its current shape from a previous version of the 2nd District.

The current major areas of the district include the industrial and university city of Huntington, the coal producing southwestern part of the state, and the more conservative farm and timber region of the southeastern part of the state. 2010 Census figures again showed a major population loss, and Mason County was transferred from the 2nd to the 3rd District. This will not change the character of the district in a significant way.

Despite the strength of Democrats at the local and state level, in presidential elections the district has followed the increasing Republican trend in West Virginia. While Bill Clinton twice carried the district handily in three-way races, Al Gore just narrowly won the district in 2000 with 51% of the vote. George W. Bush won the district in 2004 with 53% of the vote, and John McCain carried the district in 2008 with 55.76% of the vote, continuing the district, and the state's rightward shift despite a large shift towards the Democrats nationally in 2008. In 2012, the district shifted significantly towards the Republicans yet again, with Republican Mitt Romney defeating President Barack Obama 65.0% to 32.8% in the district. In 2016, the district shifted even further towards the Republican Party, with Republican Donald Trump defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton (wife of Bill Clinton, who carried the district by significant margins in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections), by a massive margin of 72.5% to 23.3%.

Statewide election results

Election results from presidential races:

Year	Office	Results
1996	President	Bill Clinton 58% - Bob Dole 32%
2000	President	Al Gore 51% - George W. Bush 44%
	Senate	Robert Byrd 80% - David Gallaher 18%
2004	President	George W. Bush 53% - John Kerry 46%
2008	President	John McCain 56% - Barack Obama 42%
2012	President	Mitt Romney 65% - Barack Obama 33%
	Senate	Joe Manchin 65% - John Raese 32%
2014	Senate	Shelly Moore Capito 61% - Natalie Tennant 36%
2016	President	Donald Trump 73% - Hillary Clinton 23%

History

The Third District as originally formed in 1863 included Kanawha, Jackson, Mason, Putnam, Cabell, Clay, Wayne, Logan, Boone, Braxton, Nicholas, Roane and McDowell counties. It was essentially the successor of Virginia's 12th congressional district.

In 1882, the district was reformed of Logan, Wyoming, McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh, Boone, Kanawha, Fayette, Clay, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, Webster, Pocahontas, and Upshur counties. In 1902, Logan, Wyoming, McDowell, Raleigh, Boone and Mercer were removed. In 1916 the district was, more or less, renumbered as the new 6th District, and the 3rd was totally reconstituted as Ritchie, Doddridge, Harrison, Calhoun, Gilmer, Lewis, Upshur, Braxton, Clay, Nicholas, and Webster counties. In 1934, Fayette was added. In 1952, Wirt was added. In 1962, the district was again totally broken up and reconstituted as Boone, Clay, Kanawha, Nicholas and Raleigh. In 1972, Raleigh was removed and Ritchie, Wirt, Gilmer, Calhoun, Mason, Jackson, Roane, Braxton, Putnam, Lincoln, and Boone were added. In 1982, Lewis was added.

The district's current configuration dates from the 1990 round of redistricting. From 1992 to 2002, it consisted of Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Greenbrier, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Summers, Wayne, Webster, and Wyoming. In 2002, Nicholas was added. For the 2012 cycle, Mason was added.

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years	Electoral history
District created		December 7, 1863	[Data unknown/missing]
Kellian Whaley	Unconditional Unionist	December 7, 1863 – March 3, 1867	[Data unknown/missing]
Daniel Polsley	Republican	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869	[Data unknown/missing]
John Witcher	Republican	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871	[Data unknown/missing]
Frank Hereford	Democratic	March 4, 1871 – January 31, 1877	[Data unknown/missing] Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.
Vacant		January 31, 1877 – March 3, 1877
John E. Kenna	Democratic	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883	[Data unknown/missing] Re-elected in 1882, but resigned when elected U.S. Senator.
Vacant		March 4, 1883 – May 15, 1883
Charles P. Snyder	Democratic	May 15, 1883 – March 3, 1889	Elected to finish Kenna's term. [Data unknown/missing]
John D. Alderson	Democratic	March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895	[Data unknown/missing]
James H. Huling	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897	[Data unknown/missing]
Charles Dorr	Republican	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	[Data unknown/missing]
David E. Johnston	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901	[Data unknown/missing]
Joseph H. Gaines	Republican	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1911	[Data unknown/missing]
Adam B. Littlepage	Democratic	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1913	[Data unknown/missing]
Samuel B. Avis	Republican	March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915	[Data unknown/missing]
Adam B. Littlepage	Democratic	March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1917	[Data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 6th district.
Stuart F. Reed	Republican	March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1925	[Data unknown/missing]
John M. Wolverton	Republican	March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1927	[Data unknown/missing]
William S. O'Brien	Democratic	March 4, 1927 – March 3, 1929	[Data unknown/missing]
John M. Wolverton	Republican	March 4, 1929 – March 3, 1931	[Data unknown/missing]
Lynn Hornor	Democratic	March 4, 1931 – September 23, 1933	[Data unknown/missing] Died.
Vacant		September 23, 1933 – November 28, 1933
Andrew Edmiston Jr.	Democratic	November 28, 1933 – January 3, 1943	[Data unknown/missing]
Edward G. Rohrbough	Republican	January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1945	[Data unknown/missing]
Cleveland M. Bailey	Democratic	January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947	[Data unknown/missing]
Edward G. Rohrbough	Republican	January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949	[Data unknown/missing]
Cleveland M. Bailey	Democratic	January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1963	[Data unknown/missing]
John M. Slack Jr.	Democratic	January 3, 1963 – March 17, 1980	Redistricted from the 6th district. Died.
Vacant		March 17, 1980 – June 30, 1980
John G. Hutchinson	Democratic	June 30, 1980 – January 3, 1981	[Data unknown/missing]
Mick Staton	Republican	January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1983	[Data unknown/missing]
Bob Wise	Democratic	January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993	[Data unknown/missing] Redistricted to the 2nd district.
Nick Rahall	Democratic	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2015	Redistricted from the 4th district and 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. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Lost re-election.
Evan Jenkins	Republican	January 3, 2015 – September 30, 2018	Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Resigned to become Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Vacant		September 30, 2018 – January 3, 2019
Carol Miller	Republican	January 3, 2019 – Present	Elected in 2018.

Living former members of the House

As of September 2018, there are four living former members. The most recent member to die was Mick Staton (served 1981–1983) on April 14, 2014.

Representative	Term of office	Date of birth (and age)
John G. Hutchinson	1980–1981	(1935-02-04) February 4, 1935
Bob Wise	1983–1993	(1948-01-06) January 6, 1948
Nick Rahall	1993–2015	(1949-05-20) May 20, 1949
Evan Jenkins	2015–2018	(1960-09-12) September 12, 1960

Historical district boundaries

2003 - 2013

See also

• West Virginia's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts

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