Indiana's 7th congressional district

Infobox U.S. congressional district
state = Indiana
district number = 7

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representative = André Carson
party = Democratic
english area = 265
metric area = 686
percent urban = 99.7
percent rural = 0.3
population = 675,674
population year = 2000
median income = 36,522
percent white = 63.0
percent black = 29.4
percent asian = 1.3
percent native american = 0.2
percent hispanic = 4.4
percent other race = 1.7
percent blue collar = 26.2
percent white collar = 57.7
percent gray collar = 16.1
cpvi = D + 9

The 7th Congressional district of the state of Indiana and encompasses most of Marion County/Indianapolis, Indiana. However, prior to the 2002 redistricting the district referred to a completely different area of Indiana, covering Fountain, Parke, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Clinton, Boone, Hendricks, Vigo, Clay, Putnam, and Owen counties and parts of Morgan and Hamilton county. The current area of the 7th District is largely the same as the now eliminated 10th District.

The seat is currently represented by Democrat André Carson.

Current Character

The district (previously Indiana's Tenth Congressional District), since 2002, includes most of Indianapolis and Marion County. It includes all of Center Township, now widely regarded as a Democratic stronghold due to its large black population and gentrified middle class.

Traditionally, the city and the district has been more competitive and much more Republican, in fact one of the most Republican metropolitan areas in the country, particularly during the years of Richard Lugar and William H. Hudnut III as mayor. However in recent decades much of the affluence of the city has begun to migrate to the edges of the city and outer Marion County, which has resulted in the Democratic lean. The northern edge of Marion county - the affluent, a strongly Republican area - are not included in the district.

The south and east of the district include the more modest neighbourhoods of the city, which is home to Amtrak's largest repair yard. Since the late 1990s there has been an influx of Mexican and Hispanic workers to the district, which has further increased its Democratic leanings. Also the industrial and financial centre of Indiana, the district has been strongly influenced by the politics of the unions in the past, however their influence over the district has become increasingly marginal in recent years.

In recent presidential contests, the district itself has given comfortable margins to Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry in recent years, in stark contrast with the rest of Indiana and even the surrounding counties.

2001/2002 Redistricting

After the loss of a congressional seat in 2000 by virtue of that year's census, an ambitious redistricting plan was embarked upon, which was eventually implemented in 2002. The character of the district prior to this was solidly republican and rural, however, since 2002, the previous area of the 7th district has been divided between Indiana's 4th congressional district and Indiana's 8th congressional district.

Representatives

ee also

*Indiana's 7th congressional district election, 2006
*Indiana's 7th congressional district special election, 2008