Tennessee's 8th congressional district

The 8th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. It currently includes roughly the northwestern part of the state.

Cities in the district include Jackson

Jackson, Tennessee

Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...

, Clarksville

Clarksville, Tennessee

Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...

, Dickson

Dickson, Tennessee

Dickson is a city in Dickson County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,244 at the 2000 census.-Demographics:...

, Charlotte

Charlotte, Tennessee

Charlotte is a town in Dickson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,153 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickson County.-Geography:...

, Union City

Union City, Tennessee

Union City is a city in Obion County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,876 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Obion County. The name comes from its location at the union of two railroads, one running roughly east-west and the other roughly north-south...

, Dyersburg

Dyersburg, Tennessee

Dyersburg is a city in and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States, north-northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River.  The population was 17,145 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dyersburg is located at...

, Brownsville

Brownsville, Tennessee

Brownsville is a city in Haywood County, Tennessee, United States. It is the county seat of Haywood County. The city is named after Jacob Jennings Brown, an officer who served during The War of 1812.-Geography:...

, and Millington

Millington, Tennessee

Millington is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 10,176. Millington was the home of the recently closed Memphis Motorsports Park. It was granted the title "Flag City Tennessee" by the Tennessee State Legislature. The Naval Support Activity Mid-South is...

.

The district's current configuration dates from 1983, when Tennessee gained a 9th district as a result of the 1980 census. At that time, most of the old 7th District was reconfigured as the 8th District. Much of the territory in this district had been numbered as the 8th District from 1953 through 1973.

Historically, the 8th was a strongly Democratic district. Along with the 5th

Tennessee's 5th congressional district

The 5th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle Tennessee. The most regularly drawn of the state's nine districts, it currently includes almost all of Davidson County, half of Wilson County, and half of Cheatham County...

 and 9th

Tennessee's 9th congressional district

The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis...

 districts, it was usually not seriously contested by Republicans. Prior to 2011, much of the territory in the district had not been represented by a Republican in over a century.

However, the Democrats in this district are nowhere near as liberal as their counterparts in the 5th and 9th districts—based in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

 and Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

, respectively. As with the 4th

Tennessee's 4th congressional district

The 4th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle and East Tennessee. It is the state's largest district in terms of area, and one of the largest east of the Mississippi River, because of low population density and rural character...

 and 6th

Tennessee's 6th congressional district

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...

 in Middle Tennessee, most self-identified Democrats in the 8th are usually conservative on social issues, and expect their legislators to focus attention upon obtaining federal funds for local public works or economic development projects, rather than to develop any talents for formulating public policy. This was especially important during the days when seniority played a greater role in determining Congressional influence than presently. Like their neighbors in nearby Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

 and Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, voters in West Tennessee have been gradually abandoning the Democrats in favor of Republicans over the past 20 years, largely under the influence of religious conservatism (part of the so-called "Bible Belt

Bible Belt

Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...

")

The 8th District is composed almost entirely of small towns and farming communities. Jackson is the largest city located entirely in the district, though the district also includes part of Clarksville and the fringes of the Nashville and Memphis suburbs.

The only other major constituencies in the district other than small-to-medium-scale farmers and working-class whites (mostly employees of small industries or trades) are some Memphis suburbanites in Tipton

Tipton County, Tennessee

Tipton County is a county located on the western end of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 51,271. Its county seat is Covington. Tipton County is part of the Memphis, TN–MS–AR Metropolitan Statistical Area, centered on Shelby County, which borders Tipton on...

 and northern Shelby

Shelby County, Tennessee

Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...

 counties (the U.S. Navy operates a base in Millington) and affluent residents of Jackson who regularly vote Republican and African-American Democrats (generally more progressive ideologically than the region's white officeholders) who reside in the counties along the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

, those parts of Tennessee where slavery was most prevalent prior to the Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. These two groups largely cancel each other out in the voting booth, leaving the balance of power in the hands of voters in the counties closer to Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 and along the Tennessee River

Tennessee River

The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...

. Relatively low population growth will likely ensure that these patterns continue into the near future.

Republican Stephen Fincher

Stephen Fincher

Stephen Lee Fincher is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. The seat was vacated by retiring Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner. Fincher defeated Democratic Tennessee state senator Roy Herron in the 2010 mid-term Congressional general election.- Early life...

 represents the district as of 2011.

List of representatives

Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party	District Residence	Notes
District created March 4, 1823
James B. Reynolds James B. Reynolds James B. Reynolds was an American politician that represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives. He was born in County Antrim, Ireland in 1779. He attended the common schools and immigrated to the United States in 1798. In 1804 he settled in Clarksville, Tennessee and studied...	March 4, 1823	March 4, 1825	Jacksonian D-R Democratic-Republican Party (United States) The Democratic-Republican Party or Republican Party was an American political party founded in the early 1790s by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Political scientists use the former name, while historians prefer the latter one; contemporaries generally called the party the "Republicans", along...
John H. Marable John Hartwell Marable John Hartwell Marable was an American politician who represented Tennessee in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:He was born near Lawrenceville, Virginia, on November 18, 1786. He pursued an academic course and studied in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to compiled...	March 4, 1825	March 4, 1829	Jacksonian
Cave Johnson Cave Johnson Cave Johnson was for fourteen years a Democratic U.S. Congressman from Tennessee. He was also the United States Postmaster General under James K. Polk from 1845–1849...	March 4, 1829	March 4, 1833	Jacksonian		Redistricted to the 11th district Tennessee's 11th congressional district United States House of Representatives, Tennessee District 11 was a district of the United States Congress in Tennessee. It was lost to redistricting in 1853. Its last Representative was Christopher H. Williams.-List of representatives:-References:*...
David W. Dickinson David W. Dickinson David W. Dickinson was an American politician who represented Tennessee's eighth district in the United States House of Representatives. He was born in Franklin, Tennessee. He completed preparatory studied and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He studied law, was...	March 4, 1833	March 4, 1835	Jacksonian
Abram P. Maury Abram Poindexter Maury Abram Poindexter Maury was an American politician, who represented Tennessee's eighth district in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:...	March 4, 1835	March 4, 1837	Anti-Jacksonian
	March 4, 1837	March 4, 1839	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
Meredith P. Gentry Meredith Poindexter Gentry Meredith Poindexter Gentry was an American politician who represented Tennessee's eighth and seventh districts in the United States House of Representatives. He also served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War.-Biography:Gentry was born in Rockingham County, North...	March 4, 1839	March 4, 1843	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
Joseph H. Peyton Joseph Hopkins Peyton Joseph Hopkins Peyton was an American politician who represented Tennessee's eighth district in the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:...	March 4, 1843	November 11, 1845	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...		Died
Edwin H. Ewing Edwin Hickman Ewing Edwin Hickman Ewing was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 8th congressional district.-Biography:...	????, 1845	March 4, 1847	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
Washington Barrow Washington Barrow Washington Barrow was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 8th congressional district.-Biography:...	March 4, 1847	March 4, 1849	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
Andrew Ewing Andrew Ewing Andrew Ewing was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee.-Birography:...	March 4, 1849	March 4, 1851	Democratic
William Cullom William Cullom William Cullom was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives. He was born on June 4, 1810 near Monticello, Kentucky in Wayne County. He attended the public schools and studied law in Lexington, Kentucky. He was admitted to the bar, and he practiced in the...	March 4, 1851	March 4, 1853	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...		Redistricted to the 4th district Tennessee's 4th congressional district The 4th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Middle and East Tennessee. It is the state's largest district in terms of area, and one of the largest east of the Mississippi River, because of low population density and rural character...
Felix Zollicoffer Felix Zollicoffer Felix Kirk Zollicoffer was a newspaperman, three-term United States Congressman from Tennessee, officer in the United States Army, and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War...	March 4, 1853	March 4, 1855	Whig Whig Party (United States) The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
	March 4, 1855	March 4, 1859	Know Nothing
James M. Quarles James Minor Quarles James Minor Quarles was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 8th congressional district.-Biography:...	March 4, 1859	March 4, 1861	Opposition Opposition Party (United States) The Opposition Party in the United States is a label with two different applications in Congressional history, as a majority party in Congress 1854-58, and as a Third Party in the South 1858-1860....
American Civil War American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
John W. Leftwich John W. Leftwich John William Leftwich was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee. He was born in Liberty , Virginia in Bedford County on September 7, 1826. He attended the public schools, studied medicine, and graduated from...	July 24, 1866	March 4, 1867	Unconditional Unionist Unionist Party (United States) The Union Party was a fusion political party conceived by Republicans in 1861 to combine people of all political affiliations into a single movement committed to the preservation of the Union and to war. Republicans wanted to project an image of wartime nonpartisanship and they also expected to...
David A. Nunn David Alexander Nunn David Alexander Nunn was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee's 8th congressional district.-Biography:...	March 4, 1867	March 4, 1869	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
William J. Smith William Jay Smith (Tennessee politician) William Jay Smith, a Representative from Tennessee; born in Birmingham, England on 24 September 1823; immigrated to the United States and settled in Orange County ; attended the common schools; learned the printing trade; moved to Tennessee in 1846; during the Mexican-American War, in 1847, served...	March 4, 1869	March 4, 1871	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
William W. Vaughan William Wirt Vaughan William Wirt Vaughan was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee. He was born on July 2, 1831 in LaGuardo , Tennessee in Wilson County. He attended the common schools and graduated from Cumberland University...	March 4, 1871	March 4, 1873	Democratic
David A. Nunn David Alexander Nunn David Alexander Nunn was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee's 8th congressional district.-Biography:...	March 4, 1873	March 4, 1875	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
John D. C. Atkins John DeWitt Clinton Atkins John DeWitt Clinton Atkins was an American politician and a member of both the United States House of Representatives and Confederate Congress from Tennessee.-Biography:...	March 4, 1875	March 4, 1883	Democratic		Redistricted from the 7th district Tennessee's 7th congressional district The 7th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district located in the middle and southwestern parts of the state, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It is the state's wealthiest district in terms of per capita income, as well as the third largest in area.Cities in the...
John M. Taylor John May Taylor John May Taylor was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee.-Career:Born in Lexington, Tennessee, Taylor attended the Male Academy in Lexington and the Union University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee...	March 4, 1883	March 4, 1887	Democratic
Benjamin A. Enloe Benjamin A. Enloe Benjamin Augustine Enloe was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:...	March 4, 1887	March 4, 1895	Democratic
John E. McCall John E. McCall John Ethridge McCall was an American politician of Irish descent and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee. He was born in Clarksburg, Tennessee in Carroll County on August 14, 1859. He attended public and private schools and...	March 4, 1895	March 4, 1897	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Thetus W. Sims Thetus W. Sims Thetus Willrette Sims was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee. He was born on April 25, 1852 near Waynesboro, Tennessee in Wayne County. He attended a private school at Martin Mills and moved with his...	March 4, 1897	March 4, 1921	Democratic
Lon A. Scott Lon A. Scott Lon Allen Scott was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 8th congressional district of Tennessee.-Biography:...	March 4, 1921	March 4, 1923	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Gordon Browning Gordon Browning Gordon Weaver Browning was an American politician who represented Tennessee in the United States Congress and was later Governor of Tennessee from 1937 to 1939 and again from 1949 to 1953.-Biography:...	March 4, 1923	March 4, 1933	Democratic		Redistricted to the 7th district Tennessee's 7th congressional district The 7th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district located in the middle and southwestern parts of the state, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It is the state's wealthiest district in terms of per capita income, as well as the third largest in area.Cities in the...
Jere Cooper Jere Cooper Jere Cooper was a Democratic United States Representative from Tennessee.-Biography:Cooper was born on a farm near Dyersburg, Dyer County, Tennessee...	March 4, 1933	January 3, 1943	Democratic		Redistricted from the 9th district Tennessee's 9th congressional district The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis... , Redistricted to the 9th district Tennessee's 9th congressional district The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis...
Tom J. Murray Tom J. Murray Thomas Jefferson Murray , usually known as Tom J. Murray, was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1943 to 1966.-Early life:...	January 3, 1943	January 3, 1953	Democratic		Redistricted to the 7th district Tennessee's 7th congressional district The 7th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district located in the middle and southwestern parts of the state, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It is the state's wealthiest district in terms of per capita income, as well as the third largest in area.Cities in the...
Jere Cooper Jere Cooper Jere Cooper was a Democratic United States Representative from Tennessee.-Biography:Cooper was born on a farm near Dyersburg, Dyer County, Tennessee...	January 3, 1953	December 18, 1957	Democratic		Redistricted from the 9th district Tennessee's 9th congressional district The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis... , Died
Fats Everett Fats Everett Robert Ashton "Fats" Everett was a Democratic Congressman from Tennessee from February 1, 1958 until his death.-Biography:Everett was a native of Obion County, Tennessee, being born on a farm near Union City...	February 1, 1958	January 26, 1969	Democratic		Died
Ed Jones	March 25, 1969	January 3, 1973	Democratic		Redistricted to the 7th district Tennessee's 7th congressional district The 7th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district located in the middle and southwestern parts of the state, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It is the state's wealthiest district in terms of per capita income, as well as the third largest in area.Cities in the...
Dan Kuykendall Dan Kuykendall Dan Heflin Kuykendall was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party....	January 3, 1973	January 3, 1975	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...		Redistricted from the 9th district Tennessee's 9th congressional district The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis...
Harold Ford, Sr. Harold Ford, Sr. Harold Eugene Ford, Sr. was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Memphis, Tennessee area for ten terms—from 1975 until his retirement in 1997. He was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S...	January 3, 1975	January 3, 1983	Democratic		Redistricted to the 9th district Tennessee's 9th congressional district The 9th Congressional District of Tennessee is a Congressional district in southwestern Tennessee. The district is located entirely within Shelby County, and includes most of the city of Memphis...
Ed Jones	January 3, 1983	January 3, 1989	Democratic		Redistricted from the 7th district Tennessee's 7th congressional district The 7th Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district located in the middle and southwestern parts of the state, connecting suburbs of Memphis and Nashville. It is the state's wealthiest district in terms of per capita income, as well as the third largest in area.Cities in the...
John S. Tanner John S. Tanner John S. Tanner is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:Tanner was born in Halls, Tennessee, and grew up in Union City, Tennessee...	January 3, 1989	January 3, 2011	Democratic
Stephen Fincher Stephen Fincher Stephen Lee Fincher is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. The seat was vacated by retiring Democratic incumbent John S. Tanner. Fincher defeated Democratic Tennessee state senator Roy Herron in the 2010 mid-term Congressional general election.- Early life...	January 3, 2011	Present	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	Frog Jump	Incumbent Incumbent The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...