United States House of Representatives, Texas District 4

Texas District 4 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves an area that includes some counties along the Red River north of Dallas, including all of Collin County outside of the area around Plano. It then snakes down east of Dallas to include some counties in East Texas like Van Zandt and portions of Kaufman.

Related Topics:
United States House of Representatives - Red River - Dallas - Collin County - Plano - East Texas - Van Zandt - Kaufman

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As of the 2000 census, District 4 represents 651,620 people who are predominantly Caucasian (80.8%) and middle-class (median family income is US$46,086, compared to $50,046 nationwide).

Related Topics:
2000 - Census - Caucasian - US$

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Once a reliably Democratic district, the district swung rapidly into the Republican column as Dallas' suburbs encroached on it. In fact, it has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964. For many years, it was based in Tyler, but a controversial 2003 redistricting orchestrated by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay drew it and neighboring Longview out of District 4 and into neighboring District 1 in order to make District 1 more Republican.

Related Topics:
Democratic - Republican - President - 1964 - Tyler - 2003 - Redistricting - House Majority Leader - Tom DeLay - Longview - District 1

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The district has had only four congressmen since its creation. Ralph Hall, the current dean of the Texas congressional delegation, has represented the district since 1981. Originally a Democrat, he became a Republican in 2004. He'd been rumored as a party switcher for some time, and many experts believed his district was almost certain to be taken over by a Republican anyway once he retired.

Related Topics:
Ralph Hall - 1981 - 2004 - Party switcher

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The district's best-known congressman was its second, Sam Rayburn, the longtime Speaker of the House.

Related Topics:
Sam Rayburn - Speaker of the House

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