Colorado's 3rd congressional district

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CO's 3rd congressional district
Area 54,100 mi²
Distribution 61.0% urban, 39.0% rural
Population (2000) 614,467
Median income $35,970
Ethnic composition 74.6% White, 0.7% Black, 0.5% Asian, 21.5% Hispanic, 1.4% Native American
Cook Partisan Voting Index R+4


The 3rd Congressional district of Colorado is located in western and south central Colorado, encompassing most of the rural Western Slope, including the cities of Grand Junction and Durango, as well as southern portions of Colorado's eastern plains, including the city of Pueblo. It is represented in the 109th Congress by Democrat John Salazar.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Alignments

[edit] 1990s alignment

Following the 1990 U.S. Census and associated realignment of Colorado congressional districts, the 3rd Congressional district consisted of Alamosa, Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Lake, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel and Summit counties, as well as portions of Douglas, Fremont, and Jefferson counties.

[edit] 2000s alignment

Following the 2000 U.S. census and associated realignment of Colorado congressional districts, the 3rd Congressional district consisted of Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, La Plata, Las Animas, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel counties and most of Otero County.

[edit] Representation

Congress Representative Party
64th-65th (1915-1919) Edward Keating Democratic
66th-72nd (1919-1933) Guy Urban Hardy Republican
73rd--75th (1933-1939) John Andrew Martin Democratic
76th (1939-1941) William Evans Burney
77th-80th (1941-1949) John Edgar Chenoweth Republican
81st (1949-1951) John Henry Marsalis Democratic
82nd-88th (1951-1965) John Chenoweth Republican
89th-95th (1965-1979) Frank Evans Democratic
96th-98th (1979-1985) Ray Kogovsek
99th (1985-1987) Mike Strang Republican
100th-102nd (1987-1993) Ben Nighthorse Campbell Democratic
103rd-108th (1993-2003) Scott McInnis Republican
109th-110th (2003-present) John Salazar Democratic


[edit] Competitiveness

The district has two major population centers, Grand Junction and Pueblo. The two towns and their surrounding rural areas provide a competitive arena for congressional races. Grand Junction, on the Western Slope provides a base for conservatism while Pueblo, a town with a large Latino population and (by Colorado norms) a heavily unionized workforce, provides a base of support for Democrats. George W. Bush received 55% of the vote in this district in 2004.

[edit] 2004 election

US House election, 2004: Colorado District 3
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Salazar 153,500 50.6
Republican Greg Walcher 141,376 46.6
Unaffiliated Jim Krug 8,770 2.9
Turnout 303,646

[edit] 2006 election

US House election, 2006: Colorado District 3
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Salazar 146,488 62%
Republican Scott Tipton 86,930 37%
Libertarian Bert L. Sargent 4417 2%
Turnout
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