Alabama's 5th congressional district
U.S. House district for Alabama
34°46′39.78″N 86°46′51.62″W / 34.7777167°N 86.7810056°W / 34.7777167; -86.7810056
Alabama's 5th congressional district Interactive map of district boundaries
Representative Area 4,689 sq mi (12,140 km2 ) Distribution 65.53% urban[1] 34.47% rural Population (2022) 743,238[2] Median household income $73,698[3] Ethnicity Occupation Cook PVI R+17[4]
Alabama's 5th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in Alabama , which elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives . It encompasses the counties of Lauderdale , Limestone , Madison , Morgan and most of Jackson . It is currently represented by Republican Dale Strong , a former Madison County Commissioner. Strong was first elected in 2022 following the retirement of Republican incumbent Mo Brooks .
Character
Two major economic projects have lastingly impacted the 5th district and have indelibly dictated the politics of North Alabama for most of the 20th Century. Before 1933, the Northern Alabama counties were characteristically poor, white and rural. The Tennessee Valley Authority 's (TVA) arrival changed much of that, slowly transforming the demographic towards technical and engineering employees. The second major project was the space and rocketry programs including Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville where the first large U.S. Ballistic missiles were developed. Additionally, NASA built the Marshall Space Flight Center in the Huntsville-Decatur area during the 1960s. In the late 1950s Northern Alabama came to be dominated by the high-tech and engineering industries, a trend which has continued up to the present. In recent years, the United Launch Alliance has located its research center in Decatur. As a result, Huntsville has become the second largest and fastest growing metropolitan area in Alabama.
For a time, the district bucked the increasing Republican trend in Alabama. It was the only district in the state that supported Walter Mondale in 1984, but hasn't supported a Democrat for president since then. Democrats continue to hold most offices at the local level, and continued to hold most of the district's seats in the Alabama state legislature until the Republicans swept nearly all of north Alabama's seats in 2010. In the mid-1990s, it was a seriously contested seat, with longtime Democratic incumbent Bud Cramer winning reelection by only 1,770 votes in 1994. However, Cramer was elected five more times with 70 percent or more of the vote and even ran unopposed in the Democratic landslide year of 2006. Cramer did not seek reelection in 2008. Parker Griffith , a retired oncologist and State Senator , won the open seat in November 2008 . However, in December 2009, Griffith became a Republican. Until Griffith's switch, the district had been one of the last in the former Confederacy not to have sent a Republican to the U.S. Congress since Reconstruction . Griffith was ousted in the Republican primary by former Representative Mo Brooks.
George W. Bush won 60% of the vote in this district in 2004 . John McCain also carried the 5th district in 2008 with 60.91% of the vote while Barack Obama received 37.99%.
Recent election results from statewide races
List of members representing the district
Member
Party
Years
Cong ress
Electoral history
Location
District created March 4, 1833
John Murphy (Claiborne )
Jacksonian
March 4, 1833 – March 3, 1835
23rd
Elected in 1832 . Retired.
Francis Strother Lyon (Demopolis )
Anti-Jacksonian
March 4, 1835 – March 3, 1837
24th 25th
Elected in 1834 .Re-elected in 1836 . Retired.
Whig
March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1839
James Dellet (Claiborne )
Whig
March 4, 1839 – March 3, 1841
26th
Elected in 1838 . Redistricted to the at-large district and lost re-election.
District inactive
March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843
27th
All representatives elected at-large .
George S. Houston (Athens )
Democratic
March 4, 1843 – March 4, 1849
28th 29th 30th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1842 .Re-elected in 1844 .Re-elected in 1846 . Retired.
David Hubbard (Kinlock)
Democratic
March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851
31st
Elected in 1848 . Lost re-election.
George S. Houston (Athens )
Democratic
March 4, 1851 – January 21, 1861
32nd 33rd 34th 35th 36th
Elected in 1850 .Re-elected in 1852 .Re-elected in 1854 .Re-elected in 1856 .Re-elected in 1858 . Withdrew due to Civil War.
Vacant
January 21, 1861 – July 21, 1868
36th 37th 38th 39th 40th
Civil War and Reconstruction
John Benton Callis (Huntsville )
Republican
July 21, 1868 – March 3, 1869
40th
Elected to finish the vacant term . Retired.
Peter Myndert Dox (Huntsville )
Democratic
March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1873
41st 42nd
Elected in 1868 .Re-elected in 1870 . Retired.
John Henry Caldwell (Jacksonville )
Democratic
March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877
43rd 44th
Elected in 1872 .Re-elected in 1874 . Retired.
Robert F. Ligon (Tuskegee )
Democratic
March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
45th
Elected in 1876 . Lost renomination.
Thomas Williams (Wetumpka )
Democratic
March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885
46th 47th 48th
Elected in 1878 .Re-elected in 1880 .Re-elected in 1882 . Retired.
Thomas William Sadler (Prattville )
Democratic
March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887
49th
Elected in 1884 . Lost renomination.
James E. Cobb (Tuskegee )
Democratic
March 4, 1887 – April 21, 1896
50th 51st 52nd 53rd 54th
Elected in 1886 .Re-elected in 1888 .Re-elected in 1890 .Re-elected in 1892 .Lost 1894 contested election .
Albert Taylor Goodwyn (Robinson Springs )
Populist
April 21, 1896 – March 3, 1897
54th
Won 1894 contested election . Lost re-election.
Willis Brewer (Hayneville )
Democratic
March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1901
55th 56th
Elected in 1896 .Re-elected in 1898 . Lost renomination.
Charles Winston Thompson (Tuskegee )
Democratic
March 4, 1901 – March 20, 1904
57th 58th
Elected in 1900 .Re-elected in 1902 . Died.
Vacant
March 20, 1904 – May 19, 1904
58th
James Thomas Heflin (Lafayette )
Democratic
May 19, 1904 – November 1, 1920
58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th
Elected to finish Thompson's term .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 . Retired to run for U.S. senator and resigned when elected.
Vacant
November 1, 1920 – December 14, 1920
66th
William B. Bowling (Lafayette )
Democratic
December 14, 1920 – August 16, 1928
66th 67th 68th 69th 70th
Elected to finish Heflin's term .Also elected to the next full term .Re-elected in 1922 .Re-elected in 1924 .Re-elected in 1926 . Resigned to become judge for 5th Alabama Circuit.
Vacant
August 16, 1928 – November 6, 1928
70th
LaFayette L. Patterson (Gadsden )
Democratic
November 6, 1928 – March 3, 1933
70th 71st 72nd
Elected to finish Bowling's term .Also elected to the next term the same day in 1928 .Re-elected in 1930 . Lost renomination.
Miles C. Allgood (Gadsden )
Democratic
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1935
73rd
Redistricted from the 7th district and re-elected in 1932 . Lost renomination.
Joe Starnes (Guntersville )
Democratic
January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1945
74th 75th 76th 77th 78th
Elected in 1934 .Re-elected in 1936 .Re-elected in 1938 .Re-elected in 1940 .Re-elected in 1942 . Lost renomination.
Albert Rains (Gadsden )
Democratic
January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1963
79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd 84th 85th 86th 87th
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 .Redistricted to the at-large district .
District inactive
January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965
88th
All representatives elected at-large .
Armistead I. Selden Jr. (Greensboro )
Democratic
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1969
89th 90th
Redistricted from the at-large district and re-elected in 1964 .Re-elected in 1966 . Retired to run for U.S. senator .
Walter Flowers (Tuscaloosa )
Democratic
January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1973
91st 92nd
Elected in 1968 .Re-elected in 1970 .Redistricted to the 7th district .
Robert E. Jones Jr. (Scottsboro )
Democratic
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1977
93rd 94th
Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 1972 .Re-elected in 1974 . Retired.
1973–1983 [data missing ]
Ronnie Flippo (Florence )
Democratic
January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1991
95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st
Elected in 1976 .Re-elected in 1978 .Re-elected in 1980 .Re-elected in 1982 .Re-elected in 1984 .Re-elected in 1986 .Re-elected in 1988 . Retired to run for Governor of Alabama .
1983–1993 [data missing ]
Robert E. Cramer (Huntsville )
Democratic
January 3, 1991 – January 3, 2009
102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th
Elected in 1990 .Re-elected in 1992 .Re-elected in 1994 .Re-elected in 1996 .Re-elected in 1998 .Re-elected in 2000 .Re-elected in 2002 .Re-elected in 2004 .Re-elected in 2006 . Retired.
1993–2003 [data missing ]
2003–2013
Parker Griffith (Huntsville )
Democratic
January 3, 2009 – December 22, 2009
111th
Elected in 2008 . Switched parties. Lost renomination.
Republican
December 22, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Mo Brooks (Huntsville )
Republican
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023
112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th
Elected in 2010 .Re-elected in 2012 .Re-elected in 2014 .Re-elected in 2016 .Re-elected in 2018 .Re-elected in 2020 . Retired to run for U.S. Senator .
2013–2023
Dale Strong (Huntsville )
Republican
January 3, 2023 – present
118th
Elected in 2022 .
2023–2025
Recent election results
These are the results from the previous ten election cycles in Alabama's 5th district.[5]
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
See also
References
Specific
General