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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Maryland's 8th Congressional District
Maryland's 8th congressional district is concentrated almost entirely in Montgomery County, with a small portion in Prince George's County. Adjacent to Washington, D.C., the 8th district takes in many of the city’s wealthiest inner-ring suburbs, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac. It also includes several more economically and racially diverse communities, the most populous of which are Rockville and Silver Spring.

With a median household income of $120,948, it is the ninth-wealthiest congressional district in the nation. The 8th district also has the eighth-highest share of residents with at least a bachelor's degree, at 63.9%. Those above-average numbers are largely due to the substantial presence of the federal government in nearby Washington, where thousands of the 8th district’s residents commute to work on a daily basis. Several federal agencies are likewise located within the 8th district, including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Two Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the district: Lockheed Martin and Marriott International. Almost 40% of the district's residents are immigrants, with the largest numbers coming from El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, China, Korea, Guatemala, and Peru. The district includes the Little Ethiopia area of Silver Spring and Takoma Park, and has the largest Ethiopian American population of any congressional district.

Politically, the district is heavily liberal. It has consistently sent Democratic representatives to Congress by wide margins since 2002. In 2020, Joe Biden won nearly 80% of its vote. Democrat Jamie Raskin has represented the seat since 2017.

History

The district was created after the 1790 census in time for the 1792 election, was abolished after the 1830 census, and was reinstated after the 1960 census.

During redistricting after the 2000 census, the Democratic-dominated Maryland legislature sought to unseat then-incumbent Republican Connie Morella. One proposal went so far as to divide the district in two, effectively giving one to state Senator Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. and forcing Morella to run against popular Maryland State Delegate and Kennedy political family member Mark Kennedy Shriver. The final redistricting plan was less ambitious, restoring an eastern, heavily Democratic spur of Montgomery County removed in the 1990 redistricting to the 8th District (encompassing nearly all of the area "inside the Beltway"), as well as adding an adjacent portion from heavily Democratic Prince George's County. Although it forced Van Hollen and Shriver to run against each other in an expensive primary, the shift still made the district even more Democratic than its predecessor, and Van Hollen defeated Morella in 2002.

From 2003 to 2013 the district, in addition to the larger part of Montgomery County and the small portion of Prince George's County, included most of Frederick County (but not the City of Frederick), and southern Carroll County. The redrawn district was slightly less Democratic than its predecessor. While the Carroll and Frederick portions of the district tilted strongly Republican, the Montgomery County portion had twice as many people as the rest of the district combined, and Montgomery's Democratic tilt was enough to keep the district in the Democratic column. Since Morella left office, no Republican has crossed the 40 percent mark in the 8th District.

Composition

# County Seat Population
31 Montgomery Rockville 1,058,474
33 Prince George's Upper Marlboro 947,430

Cities of 10,000 or more people

2,500 – 10,000 people

Recent statewide election results

Year Office Results
2000 President Gore 60% - 36%
2004 President Kerry 69% - 30%
2008 President Obama 73% - 24%
2012 President Obama 61% - 36%
2016 President Clinton 64% - 31%
2020 President Biden 69% - 28%

Recent elections

1960s

Maryland's 8th congressional district election (new district), 1966
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gilbert Gude 71,050 54.40
Democratic Royce Hanson 59,568 45.60
Total votes 130,618 100.00
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1968
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gilbert Gude (Incumbent) 109,167 60.89
Democratic Margaret C. Schweinhaut 70,109 39.11
Total votes 179,276 100.00
Republican hold

1970s

Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1970
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gilbert Gude (Incumbent) 104,647 63.38
Democratic Thomas Hale Boggs, Jr. 60,456 36.62
Total votes 165,103 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1972
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gilbert Gude (Incumbent) 137,287 63.90
Democratic Joseph G. Anastasi 77,551 36.10
Total votes 214,838 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1974
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Gilbert Gude (Incumbent) 104,675 65.92
Democratic Sidney Kramer 54,112 34.08
Total votes 158,787 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1976
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Newton Steers 111,274 46.82
Democratic Lanny Davis 100,343 42.22
Independent Robin Ficker 26,035 10.96
Total votes 237,652 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1978
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael D. Barnes 81,851 51.27
Republican Newton Steers (Incumbent) 77,807 48.73
Total votes 159,658 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

1980s

Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1980
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael D. Barnes (Incumbent) 148,301 59.33
Republican Newton Steers 101,659 40.67
Total votes 249,960 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1982
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael D. Barnes (Incumbent) 121,761 71.34
Republican Elizabeth W. Spencer 48,910 28.66
Total votes 170,671 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1984
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Michael D. Barnes (Incumbent) 181,947 71.47
Republican Albert Ceccone 70,715 27.78
Libertarian Samuel K. Grove 1,903 0.75
Write-ins 4 <0.01
Total votes 254,569 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella 92,917 52.87
Democratic Stewart Bainum 82,825 47.13
Total votes 175,742 100.00
Republican gain from Democratic
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1988
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 172,619 62.75
Democratic Peter Franchot 102,478 37.25
Total votes 275,097 100.00
Republican hold

1990s

Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1990
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 130,059 73.53
Democratic James Walker 39,343 22.24
Independent Sidney Altman 7,485 4.23
Total votes 176,887 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1992
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 203,377 72.53
Democratic Edward J. Heffernan 77,042 27.47
Total votes 280,419 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1994
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 143,449 70.28
Democratic Steven Van Grack 60,660 29.72
Total votes 204,109 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1996
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 152,538 61.22
Democratic Donald Mooers 96,229 38.62
Total votes 249,146 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 1998
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 133,145 60.34
Democratic Ralph G. Neas 87,497 39.66
Total votes 220,642 100.00
Republican hold

2000s

Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 156,241 52.00
Democratic Terry Lierman 136,840 45.54
Constitution Brian D. Saunders 7,017 2.34
Write-ins 371 0.12
Total votes 300,469 100.00
Republican hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen 112,788 51.74
Republican Connie Morella (Incumbent) 103,587 47.52
Write-ins 1,599 0.73
Total votes 217,974 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (Incumbent) 215,129 74.91
Republican Chuck Floyd 71,989 25.07
Write-ins 79 0.03
Total votes 287,197 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (Incumbent) 168,872 76.52
Republican Jeffrey M. Stein 48,324 21.90
Green Gerard P. Giblin 3,298 1.49
Write-ins 191 0.09
Total votes 220,685 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (Incumbent) 229,740 75.08
Republican Steve Hudson 66,351 21.68
Green Gordon Clark 6,828 2.23
Libertarian Ian Thomas 2,562 0.84
Write-in All write-ins 533 0.17
Total votes 306,014 100.00
Democratic hold

2010s

Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (Incumbent) 153,613 73.27
Republican Michael Lee Philips 52,421 25.00
Libertarian Mark Grannis 2,713 1.29
Constitution Fred Nordhorn 696 0.33
No party Write-ins 224 0.11
Total votes 209,667 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (Incumbent) 217,531 63.37
Republican Kenneth R. Timmerman 113,033 32.93
Libertarian Mark Grannis 7,235 2.11
Green George Gluck 5,064 1.48
N/A Others (write-in) 393 0.11
Total votes 343,256 100
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Chris Van Hollen (Incumbent) 136,722 60.74
Republican Dave Wallace 87,859 39.03
N/A Others (write-in) 516 0.23
Total votes 225,097 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Raskin 220,657 60.6
Republican Dan Cox 124,651 34.2
Green Nancy Wallace 11,201 3.1
Libertarian Jasen Wunder 7,283 2.0
N/A Others (write-in) 532 0.1
Total votes 364,324 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Raskin (Incumbent) 217,679 68.2
Republican John Walsh 96,525 30.2
Libertarian Jasen Wunder 4,853 1.5
n/a Write-ins 273 0.1
Total votes 319,330 100.0
Democratic hold

2020s

Maryland's 8th congressional district, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Raskin (incumbent) 274,716 68.2
Republican Gregory Thomas Coll 127,157 31.6
Write-in 741 0.2
Total votes 402,614 100.0
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Raskin (incumbent) 211,842 80.2
Republican Gregory Coll 47,965 18.1
Libertarian Andrés Garcia 4,125 1.6
Write-in 274 0.1
Total votes 264,206 100.0
Democratic hold
Maryland's 8th congressional district, 2024
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jamie Raskin (incumbent) 292,101 77
Republican Cheryl Riley 77,821 20.5
Green Nancy Wallace 9,612 2.5
Total votes 379,534 100.0
Democratic hold

List of members representing the district

# Member Party Years Con-
gress 		Electoral history District location
District created March 4, 1793
1
William Vans Murray
(Cambridge) 		Pro-Administration March 4, 1793 –
March 3, 1795 		3rd
4th 		Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1792.
Re-elected in 1794.
Retired. 		1793–1803
[data missing]
Federalist March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1797
2
John Dennis
(Somerset County) 		Federalist March 4, 1797 –
March 3, 1805 		5th
6th
7th
8th 		Elected in 1796.
Re-elected in 1798.
Re-elected in 1801.
Re-elected in 1803.
Retired.
1803–1813
[data missing]
3
Charles Goldsborough
(Cambridge) 		Federalist March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1817 		9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th 		Elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Re-elected in 1808.
Re-elected in 1810.
Re-elected in 1812.
Re-elected in 1814.
Retired.
1813–1823
[data missing]
4 Thomas Bayly
(Princess Anne) 		Federalist March 4, 1817 –
March 3, 1823 		15th
16th
17th 		Elected in 1816.
Re-elected in 1818.
Re-elected in 1820.
Retired.
5 John S. Spence
(Poplartown) 		Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825 		18th Elected in 1822.
Lost re-election. 		1823–1833
[data missing]
6 Robert N. Martin
(Princess Anne) 		Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1827 		19th Elected in 1824.
Retired.
7 Ephraim King Wilson
(Snow Hill) 		Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1829 		20th
21st 		Re-elected in 1826.
Re-elected in 1829.
Retired.
Jackson March 4, 1829 –
March 3, 1831
8 John S. Spence
(Berlin) 		Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –
March 3, 1833 		22nd Elected in 1831.
[data missing]
9 John T. Stoddert
(Harris Lot) 		Jackson March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1835 		23rd Elected in 1833.
Retired. 		1833–1835
[data missing]
Seat eliminated March 4, 1835
Seat re-created January 3, 1967
10
Gilbert Gude
(Bethesda) 		Republican January 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1977 		90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th 		Elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired. 		1967–1973
Montgomery
1973–1983
Montgomery
11
Newton Steers
(Bethesda) 		Republican January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1979 		95th Elected in 1976.
Lost re-election.
12
Michael D. Barnes
(Kensington) 		Democratic January 3, 1979 –
January 3, 1987 		96th
97th
98th
99th 		Elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
1983–1993
Montgomery
13
Connie Morella
(Bethesda) 		Republican January 3, 1987 –
January 3, 2003 		100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th 		Elected in 1986.
Re-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.
Lost re-election after redistricting.
1993–2003
Montgomery
14
Chris Van Hollen
(Kensington) 		Democratic January 3, 2003 –
January 3, 2017 		108th
109th
110th
111th
112th
113th
114th 		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 to run for U.S. Senator. 		2003–2013

Montgomery, Prince George's
2013–2023

Montgomery, Frederick, Carroll
15
Jamie Raskin
(Takoma Park) 		Democratic January 3, 2017 –
present 		115th
116th
117th
118th 		Elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Re-elected in 2024.
2023–present

Montgomery

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Supported the Adams-Clay faction in the 1824 United States presidential election

Sources

  1. ^ "My Congressional District".
  2. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". The Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "Congressional District Maps". Prince George's County. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "Visualize the Fortune 500". Fortune. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States - Statistical Atlas". statisticalatlas.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (March 31, 1967). "Statistics of the Contressional Election of November 8, 1966" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (July 1, 1969). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1968" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  8. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 1, 1971). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1970" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  9. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (March 15, 1973). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 1972" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  10. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (August 1, 1975). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1974" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  11. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (April 15, 1977). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 1976" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  12. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (April 1, 1979). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1978" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  13. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (April 15, 1981). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 1980" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  14. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 5, 1983). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1982" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  15. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 1, 1985). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 1984" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  16. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 29, 1987). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1986" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  17. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (April 20, 1989). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 8, 1988" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  18. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (April 29, 1991). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 1990" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  19. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 31, 1993). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 3, 1992" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  20. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 12, 1995). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1994" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  21. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (July 29, 1997). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 5, 1996" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  22. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (January 3, 1999). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1998" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  23. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (June 21, 2001). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 7, 2000" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  24. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (May 1, 2003). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  25. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (June 7, 2005). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 2, 2004" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  26. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (September 21, 2007). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  27. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (July 10, 2009). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 4, 2008" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  28. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (June 3, 2011). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  29. ^ Clerk of the House of Representatives (February 28, 2013). "Statistics of the Presidential and Congressional Election of November 6, 2012" (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  30. ^ "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 2, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  31. ^ "Official 2016 Presidential General Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. December 9, 2016. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
  32. ^ "Official 2020 Presidential General Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 14, 2020.

39°06′N 77°15′W / 39.1°N 77.25°W / 39.1; -77.25

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