Kentucky's 5th congressional district

Kentucky's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Located in the heart of Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky, the rural district is the second most impoverished district in the nation[5] and, as of the 2010 U.S. Census, has the highest percentage of White Americans in the nation. Within the district are the economic leading cities of Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Middlesboro, Hazard, Jackson, Morehead, London, and Somerset. It is the most rural district in the United States, with 76.49% of its population in rural areas.[6]

Kentucky's 5th congressional district
Kentucky's 5th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
Representative	Hal Rogers R–Somerset
Distribution	76.49% rural[1] 23.51% urban
Population (2019)	689,793[2]
Median household income	$35,636[3]
Ethnicity	96.82% White 1.54% Hispanic 1.51% Black 0.27% Native American 0.26% Asian
Cook PVI	R+31[4]

Sign in front of the McCracken, Kentucky Courthouse (in Paducah, Kentucky) commemorating early members of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Jackson Purchase (U.S. historical region). The "First District" in the title actually changed over time. It refers to the Jackson Purchase, which was in the 5th district from 1819 to 1823, the 12th district until 1833, and then the 1st district until the end of the sign's lineage in 1855.

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, and identified with the Republicans after hostilities ceased. Much of the eastern portion of the district was once part of the disbanded 7th congressional district, long a Democratic stronghold. The 7th was disbanded in 1992 after the 1990 census showed that the state's population no longer merited seven districts. Geographically, the district consists of flat land areas to the west, to Appalachia highland mountains to the east and southeast. To the north to 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 in 2016, had never voted for a Republican president since its founding in 1869, making it the longest Democratic voting streak. The county had not voted for the district's current representative, Hal Rogers, who except for 1992 has always been elected by at least 65%, before 2018, when he received 54.6% of the county's vote.

The district is represented by Republican Harold D. "Hal" Rogers, the dean of the Kentucky delegation. Rogers serves in various leadership positions in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Characteristics

As of September 2013, there were 510,329 registered voters: 253,798 (49.73%) Democrats, 235,470 (46.14%) Republicans, and 21,061 (4.13%) "Others". All of the "Others" included 15,344 (3.01%) unclassified Others, 5,385 (1.06%) Independents, 241 (0.05%) Libertarians, 43 (0.0084%) Greens, 21 (0.0041%) Constitutionalists, 20 (0.0039%) Reforms, and 7 (0.0014%) Socialist Workers.[7][8]

Until January 1, 2006, Kentucky did not track party affiliation for registered voters who were neither Democratic nor Republican.[9] 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.[10]

Recent presidential elections

Election results from presidential races
Year	Office	Results
2000	President	Bush 57 - 42%
2004	President	Bush 61 - 39%
2008	President	McCain 67 - 31%
2012	President	Romney 75 - 23%
2016	President	Trump 80 - 18%
2020	President	Trump 80 - 19%

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	Location
District created March 4, 1803
John Fowler	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1807	8th 9th	Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Retired.	1803–1813 Clarke, Fayette, Jessamine, Montgomery, and Woodford counties
Benjamin Howard	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1807 – April 10, 1810	10th 11th	Elected in 1806. Re-elected in 1808. Resigned to become governor of Louisiana Territory.
William T. Barry	Democratic-Republican	August 8, 1810 – March 3, 1811	11th	Elected to finish Howard's term. Retired.
Henry Clay	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813	12th	Elected in 1810. Redistricted to the 2nd district.
Samuel Hopkins	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1815	13th	Elected in 1812. Retired.	1813–1823 Breckinridge, Caldwell, Christian, Grayson, Henderson, Hopkins, Livingston, Muhlenberg, Ohio, and Union counties
Alney McLean	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1817	14th	Elected in 1814. Retired.
Anthony New	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1817 – March 3, 1819	15th	Elected in 1816. Retired.
Alney McLean	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1819 – March 3, 1821	16th	Elected in 1818. Retired.
Anthony New	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1821 – March 3, 1823	17th	Elected in 1820. Retired.
John T. Johnson	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825	18th	Redistricted from the 3rd district and re-elected in 1822. Retired.	1823–1833 [data unknown/missing]
James Johnson	Jacksonian	March 4, 1825 – August 13, 1826	19th	Elected in 1824. Died.
Vacant		August 13, 1826 – December 7, 1826
Robert L. McHatton	Jacksonian	December 7, 1826 – March 3, 1829	19th 20th	Elected to finish Johnson's term. Re-elected in 1827. Retired.
Richard M. Johnson	Jacksonian	March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1833	21st 22nd	Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Redistricted to the 13th district.
Vacant		March 4, 1833 – August 6, 1834	23rd	House declared new election after election was contested	1833–1843 Garrard County added to the district.
Robert P. Letcher	Anti-Jacksonian	August 6, 1834 – March 3, 1835		Elected to finish the vacant term. Retired.
James Harlan	Anti-Jacksonian	March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837	24th 25th	Elected in 1835. Re-elected in 1837. Retired.
	Whig	March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839
Simeon H. Anderson	Whig	March 4, 1839 – August 11, 1840	26th	Elected in 1839. Died.
Vacant		August 11, 1840 – December 7, 1840
John B. Thompson	Whig	December 7, 1840 – March 3, 1843	26th 27th	Elected to finish Anderson's term. Re-elected in 1841. Retired.
James W. Stone	Democratic	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845	28th	Elected in 1843. Lost re-election.	1843–1853 [data unknown/missing]
Bryan Young	Whig	March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847	29th	Elected in 1845. Retired.
John B. Thompson	Whig	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851	30th 31st	Elected in 1847. Re-elected in 1849. Retired.
James W. Stone	Democratic	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853	32nd	Elected in 1851. Lost re-election.
Clement S. Hill	Whig	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Elected in 1853. Retired.	1853–1863 [data unknown/missing]
Joshua Jewett	Democratic	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859	34th 35th	Elected in 1855. Re-elected in 1857. Lost re-election.
Vacant		March 4, 1855 – December 3, 1860	36th
John Y. Brown	Democratic	December 3, 1860 – March 3, 1861		Elected in 1859 but did not take seat until 2nd session because did not meet age requirement for office. Retired.
Charles A. Wickliffe	Unionist	March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863	37th	Elected in 1861. Retired.
Robert Mallory	Unionist	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865	38th	Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1863. Lost re-election.	1863–1873 [data unknown/missing]
Lovell Rousseau	Unconditional Unionist	March 4, 1865 – July 21, 1866	39th	Elected in 1865. Resigned following his assault of Rep. Josiah Grinnell.
Vacant		July 21, 1866 – December 3, 1866
Lovell Rousseau	Unconditional Unionist	December 3, 1866 – March 3, 1867		Elected to finish his own term. Lost re-election.
Asa Grover	Democratic	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869	40th	Elected in 1867. Retired.
Boyd Winchester	Democratic	March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873	41st 42nd	Elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired.
Elisha Standiford	Democratic	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875	43rd	Elected in 1872. Renominated but declined.	1873–1883 [data unknown/missing]
Edward Y. Parsons	Democratic	March 4, 1875 – July 8, 1876	44th	Elected in 1874. Died.
Vacant		July 8, 1876 – August 12, 1876
Henry Watterson	Democratic	August 12, 1876 – March 3, 1877		Elected to finish Parsons's term. Retired.
Albert S. Willis	Democratic	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1887	45th 46th 47th 48th 49th	Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Lost renomination.
1883–1893 [data unknown/missing]
	Asher G. Caruth	Democratic	March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1895	50th 51st 52nd 53rd	Elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. Lost renomination.
1893–1903 [data unknown/missing]
	Walter Evans	Republican	March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899	54th 55th	Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. Lost re-election.
	Oscar Turner	Democratic	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901	56th	Elected in 1898. Retired.
	Harvey S. Irwin	Republican	March 4, 1901 – March 3, 1903	57th	Elected in 1900. Lost re-election.
J. Swagar Sherley	Democratic	March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1919	58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th	Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Lost re-election.	1903–1933 [data unknown/missing]
Charles F. Ogden	Republican	March 4, 1919 – March 3, 1923	66th 67th	Elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Retired.
Maurice Thatcher	Republican	March 4, 1923 – March 3, 1933	68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd	Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Retired to run for U.S. senator.
District not used		March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935	73rd
Brent Spence	Democratic	January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1963	74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th	Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Retired.	1935–1943 [data unknown/missing]
					1943–1953 [data unknown/missing]
					1953–1963 [data unknown/missing]
Eugene Siler	Republican	January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965	88th	Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1962. Retired.	1963–1965 [data unknown/missing]
Tim Lee Carter	Republican	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1981	89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th	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. Retired.	1965–1973 [data unknown/missing]
					1973–1983 [data unknown/missing]
Hal Rogers	Republican	January 3, 1981 – present	97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th	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. 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. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020.
					1983–1993 [data unknown/missing]
					1993–2003 [data unknown/missing]
					2003–2013
					2013–present

Recent election results

2002

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2002)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	137,986	78.29
	Democratic	Sidney Jane Bailey	38,254	21.71
Total votes			176,240	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2004

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2004)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	177,579	100.00
Total votes			177,579	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2006

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2006)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	147,261	73.76
	Democratic	Kenneth Stepp	52,384	26.24
Total votes			199,645	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2008

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2008)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	177,024	84.11
	Independent	Jim Holbert	33,444	15.89
Total votes			210,468	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2010

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2010)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	151,019	77.43
	Democratic	Jim Holbert	44,034	22.58
Total votes			195,053	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2012

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2012)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	195,408	77.90
	Democratic	Kenneth S. Stepp	55,447	22.10
Total votes			250,855	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2014

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2014)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	171,350	78.30
	Democratic	Kenneth S. Stepp	47,617	21.70
Total votes			218,967	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2016

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2016)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	221,242	100.00
Total votes			221,242	100.00
Turnout
	Republican hold

2018

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2018)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	172,093	78.9
	Democratic	Kenneth Stepp	45,890	21.0
	Independent	Bill Ray (write-in)	34	0.1
Total votes			218,017	100.0
	Republican hold

2020

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District Election (2020)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Hal Rogers*	250,660	84.2
	Democratic	Matthew Best	46,993	15.8
Total votes			297,653	100.0
	Republican hold

See also

• Kentucky's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts

References

1. Geography, US Census Bureau. "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (state-based)". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
2. Bureau, Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
3. Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
4. "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
5. "Rich, poor, young, old: Congressional districts at a glance".
6. "Congressional Districts – 113th Congress Demographics – Urban Rural Patterns". proximityone.com. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
7. "Registration Statistics: By Congression District". Kentucky State Board of Elections. September 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
8. "Registration Statistics: Other Political Organizations and Groups". Kentucky State Board of Elections. September 2013. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
9. "Kentucky Administrative Regulations 31KAR4:150". Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. November 2005. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
10. "Register To Vote". Kentucky State Board of Elections. August 2003. Retrieved 2014-02-06.

• 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