Tennessee's 6th congressional district
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The 6th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle Tennessee. It currently includes all of Bedford, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Marshall, Overton, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Sumner, and Trousdale Counties, as well as a portion of Wilson County.
Two men who would later achieve national prominence in politics represented most of the territory now in the 6th District President James K. Polk and Vice President Al Gore.
Ancestrally Democratic since the days of Andrew Jackson, the 6th has become increasingly friendly to Republicans in the last decade as Nashville's suburbs have spread further into this once-rural district, especially into Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties. With close access to interstates 24 and 40, subdivisions are sprouting almost exponentially, fast filling with new economy managers and refugees from Nashville's increasingly urbane liberal cultural orientation, all wanting to raise children in "family-friendly" and religious atmospheres. Not surprisingly, it has voted for Republican presidential candidates since 1996, even against Gore in 2000. At the local level, however, politics are somewhat more split. It is one of three districts in the state (the others being the 3rd and 4th) which cannot be considered safe for either party.
After the 2000 United States Census, the Tennessee General Assembly shifted many of the suburban areas (most notably Williamson County, the most Republican county in Middle Tennessee) to the 7th District. Prior to this, it was very likely that the district would fall to a well-financed Republican. However, despite the district's fast growth, it will be difficult to shift more of the district's suburban territory elsewhere due to sluggish population growth in the more rural areas. Even without this to consider, large numbers of conservative voters in the historically Democratic precincts have switched party affiliation in recent times, over issues such as gun control, homosexuality, public campaigns against the tobacco industry and smoking, and support for the military in Iraq. It is within the realm of possibility that a well-financed Republican candidate may eventually mark the end of a nearly two-century-old tradition in this part of Middle Tennessee: electing Democrats to the House.
Democrat Bart Gordon of Murfreesboro has represented the district since 1985. He is the dean (senior member) of Tennessee's congressional delegation.
[edit] Representatives
* Died in office
** Assumed office by special election
Source: Political Graveyard database of Tennessee congressmen
[edit] External links
Congress.com: Tennessee Congressional districts
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