Tennessee's 1st congressional district is the congressional district of northeast

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, including all of

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter, ...

Cocke Cocke is a surname (pronounced ''cock'', ''cox'' or ''coke'') and may refer to: * Charles Lewis Cocke (1940- ) Professor of Physics at Kansas State University, winner of 2006 Davisson–Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics * Erle Cocke Jr. ...

Greene Greene may refer to: Places United States *Greene, Indiana, an unincorporated community *Greene, Iowa, a city *Greene, Maine, a town ** Greene (CDP), Maine, in the town of Greene *Greene (town), New York ** Greene (village), New York, in the town ...

, Hamblen,

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

, Hawkins,

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

, Sullivan, Unicoi, and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

counties and parts of Jefferson County and Sevier County. It is largely coextensive with the Tennessee portion of the Tri-Cities region of northeast Tennessee and southwest

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Cities and towns represented within the district include Blountville,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

, Church Hill, Elizabethton,

Erwin Erwin may refer to: People Given name * Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002), Austrian biochemist * Erwin Dold (1919–2012), German concentration camp commandant in World War 2 * Erwin Hauer (1926–2017), Austrian-born American sculptor * Egon Erwin Kisc ...

, Greeneville, Johnson City, Jonesborough, Kingsport, Morristown, Mountain City, Newport,

Pigeon Forge Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 6,343. Situated just 5 miles (8 km) north of Great Smoky Mountains National Par ...

, Roan Mountain, Rogersville, Sneedville,

Sevierville Sevierville ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee, located in eastern Tennessee. The population was 17,889 at the 2020 United States Census. History Native Americans of the Woodland period were among the first human ...

and

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ( ...

. The 1st district's seat in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

has been held 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 ...

s since 1881. The district was created in 1805 when the was divided among multiple districts. The district's current representative is Republican

Diana Harshbarger Diana Lynn Harshbarger ( ; born January 1, 1960) is an American pharmacist, businesswoman, and politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for . The district is based in the Tri-Cities, Tennessee, Tri-Cit ...

, who was first elected in 2020 following the retirement of Republican Phil Roe.

Election results from other races

Political characteristics

The 1st has generally been a very secure voting district for the Republican Party since the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and is one of only two ancestrally Republican districts in the state (the other being the neighboring 2nd district). Republicans (or their antecedents) have held the seat continuously since 1881 and for all but four years since 1859, while Democrats (or their antecedents) have held the congressional seat for all but eight years from when Andrew Jackson was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1796 (as the state's single at large representative) up to the term of Albert Galiton Watkins ending in 1859.

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

, the seventeenth

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

, represented the district from 1843 to 1853. The 1st was one of four districts in Tennessee whose congressmen did not resign when Tennessee seceded from the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

in 1861.

Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson (March 19, 1812 – August 24, 1873) was an American attorney, politician, and judge, active primarily in East Tennessee during the mid-19th century. He represented Tennessee's 1st Congressional District in the 36th ...

was reelected as a Unionist (the name used by a coalition of Republicans, northern Democrats and anti-Confederate Southern Democrats) to the Thirty-seventh Congress, but he was arrested by

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

troops while en route to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and taken to Richmond. Nelson was paroled and returned home to Jonesborough, where he kept a low profile for the length of his term. Like the rest of East Tennessee,

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

was not as common in this area as the rest of the state due to its mountain terrain, which was dominated by small farms instead of plantations. The district was also the home of the first exclusively abolitionist periodicals in the nation, ''The Manumission Intelligencer'' and ''The Emancipator'', founded in Jonesborough by

Elihu Embree Elihu Embree (November 11, 1782 – December 4, 1820) was an abolitionist in Jonesborough, Tennessee and publisher of ''Manumission Intelligencier'' (later renamed as ''The Emancipator''). Founded in 1819, it was the first newspaper in the United S ...

in 1819. Due to these factors, this area supported the Union over the Confederacy in the Civil War, and identified with the Republican Party after Tennessee was readmitted to the Union in 1867, electing candidates representing the Unionist Party—a merger of Republicans and pro-Union Democrats—both before and after the war. This allegiance has continued through good times and bad ever since, with Republicans dominating every level of government. While a few Democratic pockets exist in the district's urban areas, they are not enough to sway the district. Since 1898, Democrats have only crossed the 40 percent barrier twice, in 1962 and 1976. The district's Republican bent is no less pronounced at the presidential level. It was one of the few areas of Tennessee where

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...

did well in 1964. Indeed, Johnson and Washington counties are among the few counties in the country to have never supported a Democrat for president.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

turned in respectable showings in the district during his four runs for president, as did

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

in 1976. However, Carter is the last Democrat to come close to carrying any county in the district. The district typically gives its congressmen very long tenures in Washington; indeed, it elected some of the few truly senior Southern Republican congressmen before the 1950s. Only nine people have represented it since 1921. Two of them,

B. Carroll Reece Brazilla Carroll Reece (December 22, 1889 – March 19, 1961) was an American Republican Party politician from Tennessee. He represented eastern Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives for all but six years from 1921 to 1961 ...

and

Jimmy Quillen James Henry Quillen (January 11, 1916Selective Service System and U.S. Navy official records both list Quillen's date of birth as January 11, 1915. – November 2, 2003) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United ...

, are the longest-serving members of the House in Tennessee history. Reece held the seat for all but six years from 1921 and 1961, while Quillen held it from 1963 to 1997.

List of members representing the district

, - style="height:3em" , align=left ,

Brookins Campbell Brookins Campbell (1808December 25, 1853) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 1st congressional district of Tennessee. Biography He was born in Washington County, Tennessee in 1808. He a ...

, , Democratic , nowrap , March 4, 1853 –
December 25, 1853 , rowspan=3 , , Elected in 1853.
Died. , rowspan=6 , 1853–1863
} , - style="height:3em" , colspan=2 , ''Vacant'' , nowrap , December 25, 1853 –
March 30, 1854 , , - style="height:3em" , align=left , Taylor-nathaniel-green-by-shaver

Nathaniel G. Taylor , , Whig , nowrap , March 30, 1854 –
March 3, 1855 , Elected to finish Campbell's term.
Lost re-election. , - style="height:3em" , align=left , Albert G. Watkins , , Democratic , nowrap , March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1859 , , Elected in 1855.
Re-elected in 1857.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , align=left , Thomas Amos Rogers Nelson - Brady-Handy

Thomas A. R. Nelson , ,

Opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * ''The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...

, nowrap , March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861 , , Elected in 1859.
Re-elected in 1861, but captured en route to Congress and failed to take his seat. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2 colspan=2 , ''Vacant'' , rowspan=2 nowrap , March 4, 1861 –
July 24, 1866 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 ,

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

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

, - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 1863–1873
, - style="height:3em" , align=left , Taylor-nathaniel-green-by-shaver

Nathaniel G. Taylor , , Unionist , nowrap , July 24, 1866 –
March 3, 1867 , , Elected in 1865.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2 align=left , Roderick-randum-butler

Roderick R. Butler , rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 nowrap , March 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1875 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1867.
Re-elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
Re-elected in 1872.
Lost re-election. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=5 , 1873–1883
, - style="height:3em" , align=left , William McFarland , , Democratic , nowrap , March 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1877 , , Elected in 1874.
Lost re-election. , - style="height:3em" , align=left , James Henry Randolph - Brady-Handy

James H. Randolph , ,

, nowrap , March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1879 , , Elected in 1876.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , align=left , Taylor-robert-love-before-1912

Robert L. Taylor , , Democratic , nowrap , March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1881 , , Elected in 1878.
Lost re-election. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left , Augustus H. Pettibone , rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , March 4, 1881 –
March 3, 1887 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1880.
Re-elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 1883–1893
, - style="height:3em" , align=left , Roderick-randum-butler

Roderick R. Butler , ,

, nowrap , March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1889 , , Elected in 1886.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left , AlfredATaylor

Alfred A. Taylor , rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , March 4, 1889 –
March 3, 1895 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 1893–1903
, - style="height:3em" , align=left , William C. Anderson , ,

, nowrap , March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1897 , , Elected in 1894.
Lost renomination. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left , Wpbrownlow

Walter P. Brownlow Walter Preston Brownlow (March 27, 1851 – July 8, 1910) was an American politician who represented Tennessee's 1st district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1897 until his death in 1910. He is remembered for obtaining large feder ...

, rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , March 4, 1897 –
July 8, 1910 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Died. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=4 , 1903–1913
, - style="height:3em" , colspan=2 , ''Vacant'' , nowrap , July 8, 1910 –
November 8, 1910 , rowspan=2 , , , - style="height:3em" , align=left ,

Zachary D. Massey Zachary David Massey (November 14, 1864 – July 13, 1923) was an American politician and physician who represented Tennessee's 1st congressional district in 1910 and 1911. Early life Massey was born on November 14, 1864 in Marshall, North Caro ...

, ,

, nowrap , November 8, 1910 –
March 3, 1911 , Elected to finish Brownlow's term.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2 align=left , SamRSells

Sam R. Sells Samuel Riley Sells (August 2, 1871 – November 2, 1935) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 1st congressional district of Tennessee. Biography Sells was born on August 2, 1871 in Bristo ...

, rowspan=2 ,

, rowspan=2 nowrap , March 4, 1911 –
March 3, 1921 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Lost renomination. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 1913–1933

, Claiborne,

Grainger Grainger may refer to: Places *Grainger, Alberta, a locality in Canada *Grainger County, Tennessee, a county located in Tennessee, United States *Grainger Falls, a waterfall in Chalky Inland, Fiordland, New Zealand *Grainger Market, a covered mark ...

, Hawkins,

, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and

counties , - style="height:3em" , align=left ,

, ,

, nowrap , March 4, 1921 –
March 3, 1931 , , Elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Lost renomination. , - style="height:3em" , align=left , Oscar B. Lovette , ,

, nowrap , March 4, 1931 –
March 3, 1933 , , Elected in 1930.
Lost renomination. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left ,

, rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , March 4, 1933 –
January 3, 1947 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Retired to serve as

chairman of the Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fun ...

. , 1933–1943
, - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 1943–1953
, - style="height:3em" , align=left ,

Dayton E. Phillips , ,

, nowrap , January 3, 1947 –
January 3, 1951 , , Elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Lost renomination. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left ,

, rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , January 3, 1951 –
March 19, 1961 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Died. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 1953–1963
, - style="height:3em" , colspan= 2 , ''Vacant'' , nowrap , March 19, 1961 –
May 16, 1961 , rowspan=2 , , , - style="height:3em" , align=left ,

Louise Reece Louise Goff Reece (November 6, 1898 – May 14, 1970) was an American politician and a United States representative from Tennessee. Early life Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Reece was a daughter of Guy D. Goff and granddaughter of Nathan Goff, ...

, ,

, nowrap , May 16, 1961 –
January 3, 1963 , Elected to finish her husband's term.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=4; align=left , JimmyQuillen

, rowspan=4; ,

, rowspan=4; nowrap , January 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1997 , rowspan=4 , , rowspan=4 , 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.
Re-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.
Retired. , 1963–1973
, - style="height:3em" , 1973–1983
, - style="height:3em" , 1983–1993
, - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2 , 1993–2003
, - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left ,

Bill Jenkins , rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , January 3, 1997 –
January 3, 2007 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=3 , 2003–2013
, - style="height:3em" , align=left , Dave Davis, official 110th Congress photo

Dave Davis, official 110th Congress photo

David Davis , ,

, nowrap , January 3, 2007 –
January 3, 2009 , , Elected in 2006.
Lost renomination. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2; align=left , Phil Roe, Official Portrait, 112th Congress

Phil Roe, Official Portrait, 112th Congress

Phil Roe , rowspan=2; ,

, rowspan=2; nowrap , January 3, 2009 –
January 3, 2021 , rowspan=2 , , rowspan=2 , Elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Retired. , - style="height:3em" , rowspan=2 , 2013–Present
, - style="height:3em" , align=left , Diana Harshbarger (TN-01)

, ,

, January 3, 2021 –
Present , , Elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.

Recent election results

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

Historical district boundaries

Sources

Political Graveyard database of Tennessee congressmen

References

* *
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
{{coord, 36, 12, 45, N, 82, 48, 00, W, region:US_type:city_source:kolossus-eswiki, display=title 01 East Tennessee 1805 establishments in Tennessee

Election results from other races

Political characteristics

List of members representing the district

Recent election results

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

Historical district boundaries

See also

Sources

References