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Home | U.S. congressional district | West Virginias 1st congressional district
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It includes the industrial Rust Belt area of the state's northern panhandle which includes the district's third largest city, Wheeling, as well as Fairmont, Clarksburg, and the college town of Morgantown, the home of the main campus of West Virginia University. The largest city in the district is Parkersburg; the second largest is Morgantown. It also includes many rural farm and timber producing areas. The district has almost no population change reported in the 2010 Census change relative to the other 2 districts, as growth around Morgantown and Parkersburg offset population loss elsewhere, and the district was carried over unchanged for the next ten year cycle. Politically, the 1st is not considered safe for either party. The cities are Democratic strongholds, while the rural areas are much more conservative and have a tendency to swing Republican more often. State legislators are roughly equally split between both parties. The district is currently represented by David McKinley, a Republican who has represented the district since 2011. West Virginia has tended to give its congressmen long tenures in Washington, and the 1st District is no exception. Only four men have represented the district since 1953: Bob Mollohan (D) (1953 � 1957), former Governor Arch Moore, Jr. (R) (1957 � 1969), Bob Mollohan again (1969 � 1983), Alan Mollohan (1983 � 2011) and McKinley. While the district and state as a whole has been very Democratic, West Virginia Democrats tend to be somewhat more socially conservative than their counterparts in the rest of the nation. No Democrat since Bill Clinton (who did so by a plurality in a three way race) has carried the 1st District in presidential elections. George W. Bush carried the district both times in 2000 with 54% of the vote and 2004 with 58% of the vote. John McCain carried the district in 2008 with 56.77% of the vote while Barack Obama received 41.51%. |