| State: | Texas |
| District Number: | 1 |
| Image Name: | Texas US Congressional District 1 (since 2021).tif |
| Image Width: | 400 |
| Image Caption: | Texas' 1st congressional district |
| Representative: | Nathaniel Moran |
| Party: | Republican |
| Residence: | Whitehouse |
| Distribution Ref: | [1] |
| Percent Urban: | 56.8 |
| Percent Rural: | 43.4 |
| Population: | 775,992[2] |
| Population Year: | 2022 |
| Median Income: | $60,999[3] |
| Percent White: | 60.0 |
| Percent Black: | 17.5 |
| Percent Asian: | 1.2 |
| Percent Other Race: | 0.7 |
| Percent More Than One Race: | 3.7 |
| Percent Hispanic: | 17.0 |
| Cpvi: | R+26[4] |
Texas' 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives serves the northeastern portion of the state of Texas. As of 2022, the 1st district contained 775,992 people. It consists largely of three small East Texas metropolitan areas—Texarkana, Texas, Longview–Marshall, and Tyler. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+26, it is the most Republican district in Texas.[4] It has been represented by Republican Nathaniel Moran since 2023.
The 1st district once encompassed large parts of North Texas and Central Texas, but as the population of Texas grew, the district got smaller until it only encompassed about half of Northeast Texas.
For most of its history, the district was based in Texarkana, but in a controversial 2003 redistricting orchestrated by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texarkana was drawn out of the district and moved to the neighboring . Lufkin, Tyler and Longview were added in its place. In the 2021 redistricting, Lufkin was dropped from the district and Texarkana was added back into it.
The district was predominantly rural for much of its history, and thus was far friendlier to electing Democrats to Congress even as most of Texas swung toward the Republicans. The district's four-term Democratic incumbent, Max Sandlin, was a particularly severe critic of the DeLay-led redistricting effort, claiming that lumping rural areas with urban ones stifled the voice of rural voters. The 2003 redistricting made the district more urban and Republican, especially with the addition of the Republican strongholds of Tyler and Longview. Sandlin was easily defeated in November 2004 by Republican Louie Gohmert, a longtime judge in the Tyler area. Gohmert is the first Republican to represent the district since Reconstruction. Proving just how Republican the reconfigured district is, Gohmert was reelected seven times with no less than 68 percent of the vote. The Democrats chose to not put up a candidate in 2008 and 2012. In 2022, Moran was elected to succeed Gohmert, with nearly 80% of the vote, becoming only the second Republican to represent the district since Reconstruction.
The district's best-known congressman, Wright Patman, represented the district for 47 years—the second-longest tenure of any Texan in Congress. He was an early supporter of the New Deal, and later chaired the House Banking Committee for 12 years.
The 2012 redistricting process changed the district's northern section. All of Marion County, Cass County, and most of Upshur County were removed from the district. To compensate, the eastern half of Wood County was added.[5] Prior to this, the district included a population of 651,619 in the 2000 census. Additionally, the population broke down accordingly:
| Year | Race | Winner | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | President | Bush 68–26% | ||
| 2004 | President | Bush 69–31% | ||
| 2008 | President | McCain 69–30% | ||
| 2012 | President | Romney 72–28% | ||
| 2016 | President | Trump 72–25% | ||
| 2018 | Senate | Cruz 72–28% | ||
| 2018 | Governor | Abbott 74–25% | ||
| 2020 | President | Trump 72–27% |
Election results from recent races:
| Representative | Party | Years | Cong ress | width=30% | Electoral history[6] | Counties represented[7] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District established December 29, 1845 | |||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | December 29, 1845 – March 30, 1846 | 1845–1851 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Fannin, Nacogdoches, Rusk, Harrison, Shelby, Houston, San Augustine, Liberty, Jasper, Jefferson, Fannin[8] | ||||||
| align=left | David S. Kaufman | Democratic | nowrap | March 30, 1846 – January 31, 1851 | Elected in 1846. Re-elected November 2, 1846. Re-elected late August 6, 1849. Died. | ||||
| Vacant | nowrap | January 31, 1851 – March 4, 1851 | |||||||
| align=left | Richardson A. Scurry | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853 | Re-elected late August 4, 1851. | 1851–1861 Cooke, Fannin, Grayson, Fannin, Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Denton, Collin, Hunt, Hopkins, Titus, Cass, Dallas, Kaufman, Van Zandt, Wood, Upshur, Harrison, Henderson, Smith, Rusk, Panola, Anderson, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Houston, Angelina, San Augustine, Sabine, Trinity, Polk, Tyler, Jasper, Newton, Liberty, Jefferson[9] | |||
| align=left | George W. Smyth | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | Elected late August 1, 1853. Retired. | ||||
| align=left | Lemuel D. Evans | Know Nothing | nowrap | March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | Re-elected late August 6, 1855. | ||||
| align=left | John H. Reagan | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 | Elected late August 3, 1857. Re-elected late August 1, 1859. Left Congress for state's secession. | ||||
| District inactive | nowrap | March 3, 1861 – March 30, 1870 | Civil War and Reconstruction | ||||||
| align=left | George W. Whitmore | Republican | nowrap | March 30, 1870 – March 3, 1871 | Elected to finish vacant term. Lost re-election. | 1870–1873 Wood, Harrison, Van Zandt, Smith, Rusk, Panola, Henderson, Anderson, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Houston, Angelina, San Augustine, Sabine, Trinity, Polk, Tyler, Jasper, Newton, Liberty, Hardin, Orange, Chambers, Jefferson[10] | |||
William S. Herndon | Democratic | March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1875 | Elected late October 6, 1871. Re-elected in 1872. | ||||||
| 1873–1875 Smith, Rusk, Panola, Henderson, Anderson, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Houston, Angelina, San Augustine, Sabine, Trinity, Polk, Tyler, Jasper, Newton, Liberty, Hardin, Orange, Chambers, Jefferson | |||||||||
| align=left | John H. Reagan | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883 | Elected in 1874. Re-elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Redistricted to the . | 1875–1883 Wood, Harrison, Van Zandt, Smith, Rusk, Panola, Henderson, Anderson, Cherokee, Nacogdoches, Shelby, Houston, Angelina, San Augustine, Sabine, Trinity, Polk, Tyler, Jasper[11] [12] | |||
| align=left | Charles Stewart | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1893 | Elected in 1882. Re-elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. | 1883–1893 Angelina, Trinity, Madison, Brazos, Grimes, Waller, Montgomery, Harris, Polk, San Jacinto, Liberty, Chambers, Jefferson, Orange, Tyler, Jasper, Newton[13] | |||
| align=left | Joseph C. Hutcheson | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. | 1893–1897 Freestone, Leon, Trinity, Madison, Walker, Grimes, Montgomery, Waller, Harris, Chambers[14] | |||
| align=left | Thomas H. Ball | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1903 | Elected in 1896. Re-elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. | 1897–1903 Freestone, Leon, Trinity, Madison, Walker, Grimes, Montgomery, Waller, Harris, Chambers[15] | |||
| align=left | Morris Sheppard | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1913 | Elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Redistricted from the . | 1903–1913 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion[16] [17] | |||
| align=left | Horace W. Vaughan | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1913 – March 3, 1915 | Elected in 1912. | 1913–1915 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion | |||
| align=left | Eugene Black | Democratic | nowrap | March 4, 1915 – March 3, 1929 | Elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Re-elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. | 1915–1933 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion[18] | |||
Wright Patman | Democratic | March 4, 1929 – March 7, 1976 | Elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-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. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Died. | 1933–1959 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison[19] | |||||
| 1959–1967 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison[20] | |||||||||
| 1967–1969 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Shelby | |||||||||
| 1969–1973 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Upshur, Shelby[21] | |||||||||
| 1973–1975 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Upshur, Shelby, Fannin, Henderson, San Augustine[22] | |||||||||
| 1975–1977 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Upshur, Shelby, Fannin, Henderson, San Augustine, southeastern Hunt, eastern Rains[23] | |||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | March 7, 1976 – June 19, 1976 | |||||||
Sam B. Hall | Democratic | June 19, 1976 – May 27, 1985 | Elected to finish Patman's term. Re-elected in 1978. Resigned to become U.S. District Judge. | ||||||
| 1977–1983 [24] | |||||||||
| 1983–1993 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Cherokee, Upshur, Shelby, Henderson, San Augustine, northern Hunt[25] | |||||||||
| Vacant | nowrap | May 27, 1985 – August 3, 1985 | |||||||
Jim Chapman | Democratic | August 3, 1985 – January 3, 1997 | Elected to finish Hall's term. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. | ||||||
| 1993–1997 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Upshur, Shelby, eastern Hunt, southeastern Gregg, parts of Nacogdoches[26] | |||||||||
Max Sandlin | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2005 | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Lost re-election. | 1997–2003 [27] | |||||
| 2003–2005 Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Delta, Hopkins, Wood, Franklin, Titus, Camp, Morris, Cass, Marion, Harrison, Panola, Rusk, Upshur, Shelby, most of Hunt, northern Nacogdoches[28] | |||||||||
Louie Gohmert | Republican | January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2023 | Elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-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 Attorney General of Texas. | 2005–2013 Upshur, Marion, Harrison, Gregg, Smith, Rusk, Panola, Nacogdoches, Shelby, San Augustine, Sabine, Angelina, southeastern Cass[29] | |||||
| 2013–2023 Angelina, Gregg, Harrison, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Upshur (part), Wood (part)[30] | |||||||||
| align=left | Nathaniel Moran | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 2023 – present | Elected in 2022. | 2023–present Bowie (part), Camp, Cass, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Panola, Red River (part), Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Upshur (part)[31] | |||