North Carolina's 4th congressional district
North Carolina's 4th congressional district is located in the central region of the state. The district includes all of Alamance County, Durham County, Granville County, Orange County, and Person County, as well as a portion of Caswell County. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+16, it is the most Democratic district in North Carolina.[2]
North Carolina's 4th congressional district | |||
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Interactive map of district boundaries | |||
Representative |
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Population (2022) | 761,039[1] | ||
Median household income | $74,019[1] | ||
Ethnicity |
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Cook PVI | D+16[2] |
Until 2023, the district was represented by 11-term Congressman David Price, a former political science professor at Duke who was first elected in 1986, ousting one-term Republican incumbent Bill Cobey.[3] Price was reelected in 1988, 1990, and 1992, but he was defeated in his bid for a fifth term in 1994 by Republican Fred Heineman, the Raleigh Police Chief, in a generally bad year for Democrats in North Carolina. Price came back to defeat Heineman in a rematch in 1996, and has been reelected each time since then by large margins, usually with more than 60% of the vote. In 2020, Price received 67% of the votes (332,421 votes) to defeat Republican challenger Robert Thomas, who received 33% (161,298 votes).[4]
Before court mandated redistricting in 2016, according to research by Christopher Ingraham of The Washington Post, the district was the third most gerrymandered Congressional district in North Carolina and seventh most gerrymandered district in the United States.[5] In contrast, its predecessor was the most regularly drawn of the state's 13 districts.
The fourth district is currently represented by Valerie Foushee.
History
From 2003 to 2013, the district contained most of the area commonly known as The Triangle. It included all of Durham and Orange counties, part of Wake County and a small section of Chatham County. The 4th district picked up the most Republican areas of Wake County, such as Apex, Cary, and much of North Raleigh in order to help make the neighboring 13th and 2nd districts more Democratic. For instance, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the Wake County portion of the district in 2008 by 51–48%, a difference of less than 8,000 votes in between the two candidates.[6] In contrast, Obama won Wake County overall by a much greater margin of 56–43%, and Obama swept the 4th district as a whole by 63–36%. The Republican influence in the district's Wake County portion was more than canceled out by the two Democratic strongholds of Orange and Durham counties, where Obama received 72% and 76%, respectively, his two best counties in the entire state. The 4th district had a Cook PVI of D+8, which made it the most Democratic white-majority district in the entire South outside of South Florida and Northern Virginia.
The district became even more heavily Democratic as a result of 2012 redistricting, in which the more Republican areas of western and southern Wake County were removed, along with northern Orange County and most of its share of Durham County. They were replaced by heavily Democratic portions of Alamance, Cumberland, Harnett and Lee counties. Additionally, the district was pushed further into Raleigh. Like its predecessor, the district is one of the few Southern districts with a significant concentration of progressive-minded white voters—similar to areas around Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Nashville, Memphis and Austin. The presence of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University, as well as large African-American populations in Durham and Raleigh help contribute to the liberal nature of the 4th district.
Before court mandated redistricting in 2016, the district was just barely contiguous; the northern and southern portions were connected by a barely-discernible strip of land along the Lee/Harnett line. Court-mandated redistricting in 2019 again reconfigured the district, returning large portions of Durham County and removing large portions of Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina.[7]
On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved a new map which changed the 4th district boundaries to include Alamance and Person while removing Franklin and the parts of Chatham, Vance and Wake.[8]
Counties
Counties in the 2023–2025 district map:
Recent election results from statewide races
Year | Office | Results |
---|---|---|
2000 | President | Gore 52-47% |
2004 | President | Kerry 61–38% |
2008 | President | Obama 72–27% |
2012 | President | Obama 71–28% |
2016 | President | Clinton 68–27% |
2020 | President | Biden 66–32% |
List of members representing the district
Member (Residence) |
Party | Years | Cong ress |
Electoral history | District location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
District established April 19, 1790 | |||||
![]() John Steele (Salisbury) |
Pro-Administration | April 19, 1790 – March 3, 1791 |
1st | Elected in 1790. Redistricted to the 1st district. |
1790–1791 "Yadkin division" |
![]() Hugh Williamson (Edenton) |
Anti-Administration | March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1793 |
2nd | Redistricted from the 2nd district and re-elected in 1791. [data missing] |
1791–1793 "Albemarle division" |
Alexander Mebane (Hillsborough) |
Anti-Administration | March 4, 1793 – July 5, 1795 |
3rd 4th |
Elected in 1793. Re-elected in 1795. Died. |
1793–1803 [data missing] |
Vacant | July 5, 1795 – December 7, 1795 |
4th | |||
Absalom Tatom (Hillsborough) |
Democratic-Republican | December 7, 1795 – June 1, 1796 |
Elected to finish Mebane's term and seated December 7, 1795. Resigned. | ||
Vacant | June 1, 1796 – December 13, 1796 |
||||
William F. Strudwick (Wilmington) |
Federalist | December 13, 1796 – March 3, 1797 |
Elected November 23, 1796 to finish Tatom's term and seated December 13, 1796. Retired. | ||
Richard Stanford (Hawfields) |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1797 – March 3, 1803 |
5th 6th 7th |
Re-elected in 1796. Re-elected in 1798. Re-elected in 1800. Redistricted to the 8th district. | |
William Blackledge (Spring Hill) |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1809 |
8th 9th 10th |
Elected in 1803. Re-elected in 1804. Re-elected in 1806. Lost re-election. |
1803–1813 "North Carolina congressional district map (1803–13)".[9] |
![]() John Stanly (New Bern) |
Federalist | March 4, 1809 – March 3, 1811 |
11th | Elected in 1808. Retired. | |
William Blackledge (Spring Hill) |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1811 – March 3, 1813 |
12th | Re-elected in 1810. Lost re-election. | |
![]() William Gaston (New Bern) |
Federalist | March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817 |
13th 14th |
Re-elected in 1813. Re-elected in 1815. Retired. |
1813–1823 "North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43)".[9] |
Jesse Slocumb (Waynesborough) |
Federalist | March 4, 1817 – December 20, 1820 |
15th 16th |
Re-elected in 1817. Re-elected in 1819. Died. | |
Vacant | December 20, 1820 – February 7, 1821 |
16th | |||
William S. Blackledge (New Bern) |
Democratic-Republican | February 7, 1821 – March 3, 1823 |
16th 17th |
Elected in January 1821 to finish Slocumb's term and seated February 7, 1821. Re-elected later in 1821. Retired. | |
![]() Richard D. Spaight Jr. (New Bern) |
Democratic-Republican | March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 |
18th | Elected in 1823. Lost re-election. |
1823–1833 "North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43)".[9] |
John Heritage Bryan (New Bern) |
Anti-Jacksonian | March 4, 1825 – March 3, 1829 |
19th 20th |
Elected in 1825. Re-elected in 1827. Retired. | |
![]() Jesse Speight (Stantonsburg) |
Jacksonian | March 4, 1829 – March 3, 1837 |
21st 22nd 23rd 24th |
Elected in 1829. Re-elected in 1831. Re-elected in 1833. Re-elected in 1835. [data missing] | |
1833–1843 "North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43)".[9] | |||||
Charles B. Shepard (New Bern) |
Whig | March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839 |
25th 26th |
Elected in 1837. Re-elected in 1839. [data missing] | |
Democratic | March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841 | ||||
William H. Washington (New Bern) |
Whig | March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843 |
27th | Elected in 1841. [data missing] | |
Edmund Deberry (Lawrenceville) |
Whig | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845 |
28th | Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1843. [data missing] |
1843–1853 [data missing] |
![]() Alfred Dockery (Dockery's Store) |
Whig | March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847 |
29th | Elected in 1845. [data missing] | |
Augustine H. Shepperd (Salem) |
Whig | March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851 |
30th 31st |
Elected in 1847. Re-elected in 1849. [data missing] | |
James T. Morehead (Greensboro) |
Whig | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 |
32nd | Elected in 1851. [data missing] | |
![]() Sion H. Rogers (Raleigh) |
Whig | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 |
33rd | Elected in 1853. [data missing] |
1853–1861 [data missing] |
![]() Lawrence O'Bryan Branch (Raleigh) |
Democratic | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1861 |
34th 35th 36th |
Elected in 1855. Re-elected in 1857. Re-elected in 1859. [data missing] | |
Vacant | March 3, 1861 – July 6, 1868 |
37th 38th 39th 40th |
Civil War and Reconstruction | ||
![]() John T. Deweese (Raleigh) |
Republican | July 6, 1868 – February 28, 1870 |
40th 41st |
Elected to finish the short term. Re-elected in 1868. Resigned. |
1868–1873 [data missing] |
Vacant | February 28, 1870 – December 7, 1870 |
41st | |||
![]() John Manning Jr. (Pittsboro) |
Democratic | December 7, 1870 – March 3, 1871 |
Elected to finish Deweese's term. [data missing] | ||
![]() Sion H. Rogers (Raleigh) |
Democratic | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 |
42nd | Elected in 1870. [data missing] | |
![]() William A. Smith (Princeton) |
Republican | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 |
43rd | Elected in 1872. [data missing] |
1873–1883 [data missing] |
![]() Joseph J. Davis (Louisburg) |
Democratic | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1881 |
44th 45th 46th |
Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. [data missing] | |
![]() William R. Cox (Raleigh) |
Democratic | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1887 |
47th 48th 49th |
Elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. [data missing] | |
1883–1893 [data missing] | |||||
John Nichols (Raleigh) |
Independent | March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889 |
50th | Elected in 1886. [data missing] | |
![]() Benjamin H. Bunn (Rocky Mount) |
Democratic | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895 |
51st 52nd 53rd |
Elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Re-elected in 1892. [data missing] | |
1893–1903 [data missing] | |||||
![]() William F. Strowd (Pittsboro) |
Populist | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899 |
54th 55th |
Elected in 1894. Re-elected in 1896. [data missing] | |
John W. Atwater (Rialto) |
Independent Populist | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1901 |
56th | Elected in 1898. [data missing] | |
![]() Edward W. Pou (Smithfield) |
Democratic | March 4, 1901 – April 1, 1934 |
57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd |
Elected in 1900. Re-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. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Died. | |
1903–1913 [data missing] | |||||
1913–1923 [data missing] | |||||
1923–1933 [data missing] | |||||
1933–1943 [data missing] | |||||
![]() Harold D. Cooley (Nashville) |
Democratic | July 7, 1934 – December 30, 1966 |
73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th |
Elected to finish Pou's term. 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. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Resigned. | |
1943–1953 [data missing] | |||||
1953–1963 [data missing] | |||||
1963–1973 [data missing] | |||||
Vacant | December 30, 1966 – January 3, 1967 |
89th | |||
![]() Jim Gardner (Rocky Mount) |
Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1969 |
90th | Elected in 1966. Redistricted to the 2nd district and retired to run for governor of North Carolina. | |
![]() Nick Galifianakis (Durham) |
Democratic | January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973 |
91st 92nd |
Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Retired to run for U.S senator. | |
![]() Ike F. Andrews (Siler City) |
Democratic | January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1985 |
93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th |
Elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Lost re-election. |
1973–1983 [data missing] |
1983–1993 [data missing] | |||||
![]() Bill Cobey (Chapel Hill) |
Republican | January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987 |
99th | Elected in 1984. Lost re-election. | |
![]() David Price (Chapel Hill) |
Democratic | January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1995 |
100th 101st 102nd 103rd |
Elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Lost re-election. | |
1993–2003 [data missing] | |||||
![]() Fred Heineman (Raleigh) |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
104th | Elected in 1994. Lost re-election. | |
![]() David Price (Chapel Hill) |
Democratic | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2023 |
105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th |
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. Retired. | |
2003–2013![]() | |||||
2013–2017![]() | |||||
2017–2021![]() | |||||
2021–2023![]() Static map of 2021-3 congressional district | |||||
![]() Valerie Foushee (Hillsborough) |
Democratic | January 3, 2023 – present |
118th | Elected in 2022. | 2023–2025![]() |
Past election results
2002
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 132,185 | 61.18 | |
Republican | Tuan A. Nguyen | 78,095 | 36.15 | |
Libertarian | Ken Nelson | 5,766 | 2.67 | |
Total votes | 216,046 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2004
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 217,441 | 64.1 | |
Republican | Todd A. Batchelor | 121,717 | 35.88 | |
N/A | Maximilian Longley | 76 | 0.02 | |
Total votes | 339,234 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2006
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 127,340 | 64.99 | |
Republican | Steve Acuff | 68,599 | 35.01 | |
Total votes | 195,939 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2008
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 265,751 | 63.32 | |
Republican | William (B.J.) Lawson | 153,947 | 36.68 | |
Total votes | 419,698 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2010
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 155,384 | 57.16 | |
Republican | William (B.J.) Lawson | 116,448 | 42.84 | |
Total votes | 271,832 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2012
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 259,534 | 74.47 | |
Republican | Tim D'Annunzio | 88,951 | 25.53 | |
Total votes | 348,485 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2014
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 169,946 | 74.75 | |
Republican | Paul Wright | 57,416 | 25.25 | |
Total votes | 227,362 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2016
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 279,380 | 68.22 | |
Republican | Sue Googe | 130,161 | 31.78 | |
Total votes | 409,541 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2018
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 247,067 | 72.4 | |
Republican | Steve Loor | 82,052 | 24.0 | |
Libertarian | Barbara Howe | 12,284 | 3.6 | |
Total votes | 341,403 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2020
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | David Price (incumbent) | 332,421 | 67.3 | |
Republican | Robert Thomas | 161,298 | 32.7 | |
Total votes | 493,719 | 100 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2022
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Valerie Foushee | 194,983 | 66.91% | |
Republican | Courtney Geels | 96,442 | 33.09% | |
Total votes | 291,425 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
See also
- List of United States congressional districts
- North Carolina's congressional districts
References
- "My Congressional District". census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP).
- "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- "Our Campaigns - Candidate - David E. Price". www.ourcampaigns.com.
- "11/03/2020 UNOFFICIAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE". NCSBE.
- Ingraham, Christopher. "America's most gerrymandered congressional districts". Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- "north carolina hard totals". Google Docs. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- "Legislative and Congressional Redistricting". North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- Doule, Steve (February 23, 2022). "Check out new election maps: NC Supreme Court rejects appeals, approves special masters' districts". WGHP. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis". United States Congressional District Shapefiles.
- "11/05/2002 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 15, 2002. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/02/2004 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2004. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/07/2006 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 17, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 14, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 12, 2010. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 16, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. November 25, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections. December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- "District 4, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
- "District 4, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement". North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
- "NC SBE Contest Results". er.ncsbe.gov. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
- 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