Indiana's 7th congressional district


Indiana's 7th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Indiana. Based in the heart of the state, the district encompasses most of Marion County and Indianapolis, except for the north side, which is represented by the 5th District.
The district is currently represented by Democrat André Carson, who won a special election in 2008 to succeed his grandmother Julia Carson following her death in 2007.
The district is one of three to be represented by a Muslim in the United States.
This district has not elected a Republican since the 2000 election when it covered a completely different area of the state, and is considered a safe Democratic seat.

Election results from presidential races

Characteristics

The current area of the 7th Congressional District is largely the same as the now eliminated 10th Congressional District
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 when Richard Lugar and William H. Hudnut III served as Mayor of Indianapolis. 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 - an affluent, strongly conservative area - is not included in the district.
The southern and eastern parts of the district include the more modest neighborhoods 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, as the industrial and financial center 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, John Kerry and Barack Obama. Most recently in 2008, Barack Obama won 71% of the vote in the 7th Congressional District.

Redistricting

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 counties. It had a dramatically different political history from the current 7th; it was a solidly Republican and rural area anchored by Terre Haute and Lafayette.
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. As mentioned above, most of the old 10th became the new 7th, while the territory of the old 7th was split into the 4th Congressional District and the 8th Congressional District.

List of members representing the district

Recent election results

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

Historical district boundaries