State: | Washington |
District Number: | 7 |
Image Caption: | Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023, with Seattle highlighted in red. |
Representative: | Pramila Jayapal |
Party: | Democratic |
Residence: | Seattle |
Population: | 783,927 |
Population Year: | 2022 |
Median Income: | $115,418[1] |
Percent White: | 62.5 |
Percent Black: | 4.9 |
Percent Asian: | 14.4 |
Percent Hispanic: | 9.5 |
Percent Other Race: | 1.5 |
Percent More Than One Race: | 7.2 |
Cpvi: | D+36[2] |
Washington's 7th congressional district encompasses most of Seattle and Burien, and all of Vashon Island, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, and Normandy Park. Since 2017, the 7th district has been represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Democrat Pramila Jayapal. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+36, it is the most Democratic district in Washington.[2]
The 7th is the most Democratic district in the Pacific Northwest, and the most Democratic district on the West Coast outside the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles. It is also the most Democratic majority-white district in the United States. Democrats dominate every level of government, and routinely win elections with well over 70% of the vote. Al Gore won the 7th in 2000 with 72% of the vote, while John Kerry won 79% in 2004. Barack Obama took 84% of the vote in 2008.
Washington's seventh seat in the U.S. House was added after the 1950 census, but the state did not immediately reapportion. It was contested as a statewide at-large seat in three elections, 1952, 1954, and 1956, and voters cast ballots for two congressional seats, their district and the at-large. Democrat Donald H. Magnuson won all three at-large elections. The 1958 election was the first after the state reapportioned to seven districts; Magnuson was elected to the new district in 1958 and 1960, but lost in 1962.
Year | Office | Results | |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | President | Johnson 62 - 38% | |
1968 | President | Humphrey 52 - 40% | |
1972 | President | Nixon 56 - 44% | |
1976 | President | Carter 48 - 48% | |
1980 | President | Reagan 44 - 42% | |
1984 | President | Mondale 58 - 41% | |
1988 | President | Dukakis 66 - 32% | |
1992 | President | B. Clinton 65 - 18% | |
1996 | President | B. Clinton 67 - 20% | |
2000 | President | Gore 72 - 20% | |
2004 | President | Kerry 79 - 19% | |
2008 | President | Obama 84 - 15% | |
2012 | President | Obama 79 - 18% | |
2016 | President | H. Clinton 82 - 12% | |
2020 | President | Biden 86 - 12% |
Member | Party | Dates | Cong ress | Electoral history | width=350 | District location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
District established January 3, 1959 | |||||||
Donald H. Magnuson | Democratic | January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1963 | Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Lost re-election. | 1959–1961 | |||
1961–1969 | |||||||
align=left | K. William Stinson | Republican | nowrap | January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965 | Elected in 1962. Lost re-election. | ||
Brock Adams | Democratic | January 3, 1965 – January 22, 1977 | Elected in 1964. Elected in 1966. Elected in 1968. Elected in 1970. Elected in 1972. Elected in 1974. Elected in 1976. Resigned to become U.S. Secretary of Transportation. | ||||
1969–1973 Parts of King | |||||||
1973–1983 | |||||||
Vacant | nowrap | January 22, 1977 – May 17, 1977 | |||||
align=left | John E. Cunningham | Republican | nowrap | May 17, 1977 – January 3, 1979 | Elected to finish Adams's term. Lost re-election. | ||
Mike Lowry | Democratic | January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1989 | Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. | ||||
1983–1985 | |||||||
1985–1993 | |||||||
Jim McDermott | Democratic | January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2017 | Elected in 1988. Re-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. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Retired. | ||||
1993–2003 Parts of King | |||||||
2003–2013 Parts of King | |||||||
2013–2023 Parts of King and Snohomish | |||||||
Pramila Jayapal | Democratic | January 3, 2017 – present | Elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. | ||||
2023–present Parts of King |