Indiana's 8th congressional district
Indiana's 8th congressional district | |||
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Representative |
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Area | 7,041.64 sq mi (18,237.8 km2) | ||
Distribution |
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Population (2022) | 752,244 | ||
Median household income | $61,601[1] | ||
Ethnicity |
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Cook PVI | R+19[2] |
Indiana's 8th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in southwest and west central Indiana, the district is anchored in Evansville and also includes Jasper, Princeton, Terre Haute, Vincennes, and Washington.
Previously referred to as "The Bloody Eighth" at the local (and sometimes national) levels (see below for explanation), it was formerly a notorious swing district. However, due to a political realignment, it has in recent elections become a safe Republican district. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+19, it is one of the most Republican districts in Indiana.[2]
Election results from presidential races
Year | Office | Results |
---|---|---|
2000 | President | George W. Bush 57% – Al Gore 42% |
2004 | President | George W. Bush 62% – John Kerry 38% |
2008 | President | John McCain 50.6% – Barack Obama 48.1% |
2012 | President | Mitt Romney 58.4% – Barack Obama 39.6% |
2016 | President | Donald Trump 64.6% – Hillary Clinton 30.9% |
2020 | President | Donald Trump 65.1% – Joe Biden 33.1% |
Composition
# | County | Seat | Population |
---|---|---|---|
11 | Clay | Brazil | 26,556 |
13 | Crawford | English | 10,713 |
14 | Daviess | Greenfield | 30,726 |
19 | Dubois | Jasper | 41,889 |
23 | Fountain | Covington | 16,351 |
26 | Gibson | Princeton | 39,750 |
28 | Greene | Bloomfield | 33,750 |
42 | Knox | Vincennes | 38,920 |
51 | Martin | Shoals | 10,370 |
59 | Orange | Paoli | 19,867 |
60 | Owen | Spencer | 21,790 |
61 | Parke | Rockville | 17,250 |
62 | Perry | Tell City | 19,332 |
63 | Pike | Petersburg | 12,845 |
65 | Posey | Mt. Vernon
|
27,500 |
74 | Spencer | Rockport | 20,952 |
77 | Sullivan | Sullivan | 21,750 |
82 | Vanderburgh | Evansville | 191,220 |
83 | Vermillion | Newport | 16,790 |
84 | Vigo | Terre Haute | 105,900 |
87 | Warrick | Boonville | 59,700 |
As of 2023, Indiana's 8th congressional district is located in southwest and west central Indiana. It includes Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick Counties, and half of Fountain.
Fountain County is split between this district and the
Cities of 10,000 or more people
(2010 census)
- Evansville – 117,429
- Terre Haute – 60,785
- Vincennes – 18,423
- Jasper – 15,038
- Washington – 11,509
2,500 – 10,000 people
(2010 census)
- Princeton – 8,644
- Brazil – 7,912
- Tell City – 7,272
- Mt. Vernon – 6,687
- Boonville – 6,246
- Linton – 5,413
- Clinton – 4,893
- North Terre Haute – 4,305
- Sullivan – 4,249
- Newburgh – 3,325
- Fort Branch – 2,771
- Bicknell – 2,892
History
Based in
The district has been nicknamed "The Bloody Eighth" because of a series of hard-fought campaigns and political reversals. Unlike most other districts in the state, which tend to give their representatives long tenures in Washington, the 8th congressional district has a reputation for frequently ousting incumbents from both parties.
In 2000, a New York Times reporter said of the district: "With a populist streak and a conservative bent, this district does not cotton to country club Republicans or to social-engineering liberals," and also said, "More than 95 percent white and about 41 percent rural, the region shares much of the flavor of the Bible Belt."[6]
In 2013, the district shifted and was pushed southward toward Evansville, losing Fountain and Warren Counties, and gaining Dubois, Perry, and Spencer Counties, and a portion of Crawford County, uniting southwestern Indiana under one district.
In 2023, the district regained some its former territory, pushing back into Fountain County, but also gained the remainder of Crawford County and the entirety of Orange County from the 9th District.
List of members representing the district
Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress |
Electoral history |
---|---|---|---|---|
District created March 4, 1843 | ||||
John Pettit (Lafayette) |
Democratic | March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1849 |
28th 29th 30th |
Re-elected in 1847 .Lost renomination. |
Joseph E. McDonald (Crawfordsville) |
Democratic | March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851 |
31st | Elected in 1849 .Retired. |
Daniel Mace (Lafayette) |
Democratic | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855 |
32nd 33rd 34th |
Re-elected in 1854 .Retired. |
People's | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | |||
James Wilson (Crawfordsville) |
Republican | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 |
35th 36th |
Re-elected in 1858 .Retired. |
Albert S. White (Stockwell) |
Republican | March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1863 |
37th | Elected in 1860 .Retired. |
Godlove S. Orth )
(Lafayette |
Republican | March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1869 |
38th 39th 40th |
Re-elected in 1866. .
Redistricted to the 7th district |
James N. Tyner (Peru) |
Republican | March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875 |
41st 42nd 43rd |
Re-elected in 1872 .Lost renomination. |
Morton C. Hunter (Bloomington) |
Republican | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1879 |
44th 45th |
Redistricted from the Re-elected in 1876 .Lost re-election. |
Abraham J. Hostetler (Bedford) |
Democratic | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1881 |
46th | Elected in 1878 .Retired. |
Robert B. F. Peirce (Crawfordsville) |
Republican | March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1883 |
47th | Elected in 1880 .Lost re-election. |
John E. Lamb )
(Terre Haute |
Democratic | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 |
48th | Elected in 1882 .Lost re-election. |
James T. Johnston (Rockville) |
Republican | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 |
49th 50th |
Re-elected in 1886 .Lost re-election. |
Elijah V. Brookshire (Crawfordsville) |
Democratic | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895 |
51st 52nd 53rd |
Re-elected in 1892 .Lost re-election. |
George W. Faris (Terre Haute) |
Republican | March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897 |
54th | Elected in 1894. .
Redistricted to the 5th district |
Charles L. Henry (Anderson) |
Republican | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 |
55th | Redistricted from the re-elected in 1896 .Retired. |
George W. Cromer (Muncie) |
Republican | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1907 |
56th 57th 58th 59th |
Re-elected in 1904 .Lost re-election. |
John A. M. Adair (Portland) |
Democratic | March 4, 1907 – March 3, 1917 |
60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th |
Re-elected in 1914. .
Retired to run for Governor of Indiana |
Albert H. Vestal (Anderson) |
Republican | March 4, 1917 – April 1, 1932 |
65th 66th 67th 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd |
Re-elected in 1930 .Died. |
Vacant | April 1, 1932 – March 3, 1933 |
72nd | ||
John W. Boehne Jr. (Evansville) |
Democratic | March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943 |
73rd 74th 75th 76th 77th |
Redistricted from the Re-elected in 1940 .Lost re-election. |
Charles M. La Follette (Evansville) |
Republican | January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1947 |
78th 79th |
Re-elected in 1944. .
Retired to run for U.S. Senator |
E. A. Mitchell (Evansville) |
Republican | January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 |
80th | Elected in 1946 .Lost re-election. |
Winfield K. Denton (Evansville) |
Democratic | January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953 |
81st 82nd |
Re-elected in 1950 .Lost re-election. |
D. Bailey Merrill (Evansville) |
Republican | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955 |
83rd | Elected in 1952 .Lost re-election. |
Winfield K. Denton (Evansville) |
Democratic | January 3, 1955 – December 30, 1966 |
84th 85th 86th 87th 88th 89th |
Re-elected in 1964 .Lost re-election and resigned early. |
Vacant | December 30, 1966 – January 3, 1967 |
89th | ||
Roger H. Zion (Evansville) |
Republican | January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975 |
90th 91st 92nd 93rd |
Re-elected in 1972 .Lost re-election. |
Philip H. Hayes (Evansville) |
Democratic | January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1977 |
94th | Elected in 1974. .
Retired to run for U.S. Senator |
David L. Cornwell (Paoli) |
Democratic | January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1979 |
95th | Elected in 1976 .Lost re-election. |
H. Joel Deckard (Evansville) |
Republican | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1983 |
96th 97th |
Re-elected in 1980 .Lost re-election. |
Frank McCloskey (Bloomington) |
Democratic | January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985 |
98th | Elected in 1982 .Seat left vacant while election contest resolved. |
Vacant | January 3, 1985 – May 1, 1985 |
99th | Election contested and the House of Representatives refused to seat anyone. | |
Frank McCloskey (Smithville) |
Democratic | May 1, 1985 – January 3, 1995 |
99th 100th 101st 102nd 103rd |
Re-elected in 1992 Lost re-election. |
John Hostettler (Blairsville) |
Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 |
104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th |
. Lost re-election. |
Brad Ellsworth (Evansville) |
Democratic | January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 |
110th 111th |
Elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. |
Larry Bucshon (Evansville) |
Republican | January 3, 2011 – present |
112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th |
Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Retiring at end of term. |
Election results
2002
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Hostettler* | 98,952 | 51.31 | |
Democratic | Bryan Hartke | 88,763 | 46.02 | |
Libertarian | Pam Williams | 5,150 | 2.67 | |
Total votes | 192,865 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | |||
Republican hold |
2004
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | John Hostettler* | 145,576 | 53.37 | |
Democratic | Jon Jennings | 121,522 | 44.55 | |
Libertarian | Mark Garvin | 5,680 | 2.08 | |
Total votes | 272,778 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | |||
Republican hold |
2006
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Brad Ellsworth | 131,019 | 61.02 | |||
Republican | John Hostettler* | 83,704 | 38.98 | |||
Total votes | 214,723 | 100.00 | ||||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | |||||
Democratic gain from Republican |
2008
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Brad Ellsworth* | 189,109 | 64.75 | |
Republican | Greg Goode | 102,940 | 35.25 | |
Total votes | 292,049 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | |||
Democratic hold |
2010
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Larry Bucshon | 117,259 | 57.55 | |||
Democratic | Trent Van Haaften | 76,265 | 37.43 | |||
Libertarian | John Cunningham | 10,240 | 5.03 | |||
Total votes | 203,764 | 100.00 | ||||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | |||||
Republican gain from Democratic |
2012
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Larry Bucshon* | 151,533 | 53.36 | |
Democratic | Dave Crooks | 122,325 | 43.07 | |
Libertarian | Bart Gadau | 10,134 | 3.57 | |
Total votes | 283,992 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | |||
Republican hold |
2014
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Larry Bucshon (Incumbent) | 103,344 | 60.32 | |
Democratic | Tom Spangler | 61,384 | 35.83 | |
Libertarian | Andrew Horning | 6,587 | 3.84 | |
Total votes | 171,315 | 100 | ||
Republican hold |
2016
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Larry Bucshon (Incumbent) | 187,702 | 63.69 | |
Democratic | Ronald L. Drake | 93,356 | 31.68 | |
Libertarian | Andrew Horning | 13,655 | 4.63 | |
Total votes | 294,713 | 100 | ||
Republican hold |
2018
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Larry Bucshon (Incumbent) | 157,396 | 64.4 | |
Democratic | William Tanoos | 86,895 | 35.6 | |
Total votes | 244,291 | 100 | ||
Republican hold |
2020
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Larry Bucshon (incumbent) | 214,643 | 66.9 | |
Democratic | Thomasina Marsili | 95,691 | 29.8 | |
Libertarian | James D. Rodenberger | 10,283 | 3.2 | |
Total votes | 320,617 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold |
Historical district boundaries
See also
References
- ^ "Congressional District 8, IN – Profile data". Census Reporter. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ a b "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Brush, Silla (January 8, 2006). "And They're Off And Running!". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ Risen, James (October 29, 1986). "Reagan to Join Bloody House Battle : Indiana District Race, Won by 4 Votes in '84, Turns Into Rematch". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 22, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
- ^ "Democrats pick up key House seat in Indiana". CNN.com. Retrieved January 7, 2007.
- ^ Dirk Johnson, "The 2000 Campaign: An Indiana Race; Conservatives Face Off in Quirky Populist District", New York Times, October 10, 2000
- ^ "Indiana Election Results November 3, 2020". Indiana Election Division. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- 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