Kentucky's 5th congressional district is a
congressional district
Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...
. Located in the heart of
Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky, the
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...
district is the second most impoverished district in the nation and, as of the
2010 U.S. Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...
, has the highest percentage of
White Americans
White Americans are Americans who identify as and are perceived to be white people. This group constitutes the majority of the people in the United States. As of the 2020 Census, 61.6%, or 204,277,273 people, were white alone. This represented ...
in the nation. Within the district are the economic leading cities of
Pikeville,
Prestonsburg,
Middlesboro,
Hazard,
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
,
Morehead,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, and
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
, locator_map =
, coordinates =
, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
, established_by =
, preceded_by =
, origin =
, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
. It is the most rural district in the United States, with 76.49% of its population in rural areas.
It has been represented by
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Hal Rogers since 1981.
With a
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated Cook PVI, CPVI, or PVI, is a measurement of how strongly a United States congressional district or U.S. state leans toward the Democratic or Republican Party, compared to the nation as a whole, based ...
rating of R+33, it is the most Republican district in Kentucky and tied with
Texas's 13th as the second most Republican district in the country.
[ The 5th congressional district is one of the few ancestrally Republican regions south of the Ohio River. Much of the region now in the district strongly supported the Union in the ]Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, and identified with the Republicans after hostilities ceased. By contrast, the northeastern portion of the district borders West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...
. Much of this section of the district was once part of the 7th congressional district, long a Democratic stronghold, which was disbanded in 1992 after the 1990 census. Geographically, the district consists of flat land areas to the west, to Appalachia highland mountains to the east and southeast. To the north and northeast of the district are rolling hills that end at the Ohio River.
Despite the district's strong Republican lean, it features the county of Elliott, which, before being carried by Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
in 2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
, had never voted for a Republican president since its founding in 1869, making it the longest Democratic voting streak. Until 2018, when the county gave Rogers 54.6% of its vote, the county had never voted for Rogers, despite him winning at least 65% of the vote in the district in every election except 1992.
Rogers is the dean of the Kentucky delegation and of the entire House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. Due in part to his seniority, Rogers has served in a number of leadership positions in the chamber.
Characteristics
Until January 1, 2006, Kentucky did not track party affiliation for registered voters who were neither Democratic nor Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. The Kentucky voter registration card does not explicitly list anything other than Democratic Party, Republican Party, or Other, with the "Other" option having a blank line and no instructions on how to register as something else.
Recent presidential elections
List of members representing the district
Recent election results
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
See also
*Kentucky's congressional districts
Kentucky is currently divided into 6 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives. The number of congressional districts has been set at 6 since the 1990 United States census, 1990 redistricti ...
*List of United States congressional districts
Congressional districts in the United States are electoral divisions for the purpose of electing members of the United States House of Representatives. The number of voting seats in the House of Representatives is currently set at 435, wit ...
References
*
*
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
{{coord, 37, 22, 08, N, 83, 31, 19, W, region:US_type:city_source:kolossus-eswiki, display=title
05
Constituencies established in 1803
1803 establishments in Kentucky
Constituencies disestablished in 1933
1933 disestablishments in Kentucky
Constituencies established in 1935
1935 establishments in Kentucky