Michigan's 7th congressional district

Michigan's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan. From 2003 to 2013 it consisted of all of Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, and included most of Calhoun and a large portion of western and northern Washtenaw counties. The district shifted east in the 2012 redistricting, and now includes the western suburbs of Ann Arbor and Monroe County.

In the November 2, 2010 midterm elections, Republican Tim Walberg defeated Mark Schauer, the district's previous congressman.

Major cities

• Adrian
• Charlotte
• Coldwater
• Hillsdale
• Jackson
• Lansing (The portion in Eaton County)
• Monroe
• Saline
• Tecumseh

Voting

Early history

The 7th Congressional district was formed in 1872 covering the Thumb of Michigan. It had Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, Lapeer, St. Clair and Macomb Counties. In 1882 Tuscola County was removed from the district but everything else remained the same. In 1892 Grosse Point and Hamtramck Townships, the latter one today mainly within the city boundaries of Detroit were moved into the 7th District.

In 1912 Tuscola county was put back in the 7th district, but it may have lost its Wayne County areas. It was definitely deprived of these areas by 1932.

In 1964 the 7th district experienced its most drastic redistricting yet. Only Lapeer County was retained from the old district while Genesee County was added. In 1972 the district was redrawn again, losing Lapeer County as well as a few outlying parts of Genesee County. In 1982 most of Lapeer county was put back in the 7th district. The northern tier of townships in Genesee County were moved to the 8th district. Burns Township in Shiawasee County and all the northern tier of townships in Oakland County with the exception of Brandon Township were also put in the district.

After 1992 this old 7th district constituted a large part of the new 9th district.

Predecessors to the 1992 district

The current 7th has no connection with the pre-1992 seventh congressional district. If populations and not just areas are considered, it is primarily an heir of the previous 3rd district. Most of the area came from the old 2nd district, and some of John Dingell's old 16th district was also included.

All of Eaton and Calhoun Counties were preserved from the 3rd to the 7th district. Half of the area of Barry County that had been in the old 3rd was retained. From the old 4th was drawn most of Branch County. The rest of Branch County and Hillsdale County, the south-western portion of Washtenaw County and western Lenawee County and most of Jackson County were taken from the old 2nd district. Even though most of the area of the old second was put in the new 7th, most of its population was moved into the 13th, From Ann Arbor to Plymouth, Livonia and Northville. The portion of Lenawee County that had been in the 16th was absorbed, and a small part of the Washtenaw County area of the 15th district and the part of the old 6th that had been in Jackson County. Thus the new 7th district incorporated areas from six old districts.

The 2002 redistricting is best seen as a shift from the 3rd district to the 2nd district legacy. With the loss of its quadrant in Barry County and a small section of Calhoun County the district lost affinity to the 3rd of yore. It took back the portion of Washtenaw County that had been lost to the 8th district, and shed the part of Washtenaw County that had come from the old 15th district. Although none of Wayne County was included in the new district, it did have Salem Township which not only borders Wayne County but is largely in a Wayne County-headquartered school district.

In the 2012 redistricting the district gained Monroe County as well as the portion of Washtenaw County around Saline.

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	Congress	Notes
District created		March 4, 1873
Omar D. Conger	Republican	March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1881	43rd-46th	Redistricted from the 5th district, Resigned March 3, 1881 to become US Senator
Vacant		March 4, 1881 – April 5, 1881	47th
John Tyler Rich	Republican	April 5, 1881 - March 3, 1883	47th	Elected April 4, 1881, to fill the vacancy.
Ezra C. Carleton	Democratic[1]	March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1887	48th-49th
Justin Rice Whiting	Democratic[1]	March 4, 1887 - March 3, 1895	50th-53rd
Horace G. Snover	Republican	March 4, 1895 - March 3, 1899	54th-55th
Edgar Weeks	Republican	March 4, 1899 - March 3, 1903	56th-57th
Henry McMorran	Republican	March 4, 1903 - March 3, 1913	58th-62nd
Louis C. Cramton	Republican	March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1931	63rd-71st
Jesse P. Wolcott	Republican	March 4, 1931 - January 3, 1957	72nd-84th
Robert J. McIntosh	Republican	January 3, 1957 - January 3, 1959	85th
James G. O'Hara	Democratic	January 3, 1959 - January 3, 1965	86th-88th	Redistricted to the 12th district
John C. Mackie	Democratic	January 3, 1965 - January 3, 1967	89th
Donald W. Riegle, Jr.	Republican	January 3, 1967 - February 27, 1973	90th-93rd	Elected as a Republican and changed political affiliation in 1973.
	Democratic	February 27, 1973 - December 30, 1976	93rd - 94th	Resigned December 30, 1976 after being appointed to the US Senate.
Vacant		December 30, 1976 – January 3, 1977	94th
Dale E. Kildee	Democratic	January 3, 1977 - January 3, 1993	95th-102nd	Redistricted to the 9th district
Nick Smith	Republican	January 3, 1993 - January 3, 2005	103rd-108th
Joe Schwarz	Republican	January 3, 2005 - January 3, 2007	109th
Tim Walberg	Republican	January 3, 2007 - January 3, 2009	110th
Mark Schauer	Democratic	January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011	111th
Tim Walberg	Republican	January 3, 2011 – Present	112th-113th	Incumbent

Historical district boundaries

1993 - 2003

2003 - 2013

See also

• Michigan's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts

Notes

1. 1 2 A number of candidates were elected as fusion candidates, but were seated in Congress with the Democratic Party: Ezra C. Carleton in 1882 and 1884 and Justin R. Whiting in 1886, 1888, and 1890 (he was elected as a Democrat in 1892).

References

• Govtrack.us for the 7th District - Lists current Senators and representative, and map showing district outline
• The Political graveyard: U.S. Representatives from Michigan, 1807-2003
• U.S. Representatives 1837-2003, Michigan Manual 2003-2004
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

Coordinates: 42°05′37″N 84°18′18″W / 42.09361°N 84.30500°W / 42.09361; -84.30500