Arizona's 3rd congressional district


Arizona's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district that contains the southwestern portions of the state, sharing the border of Mexico from Nogales to the California border. Much of the district's population lives in the western third of Tucson. It is currently represented by Democrat Raúl Grijalva.

History

Arizona picked up a third district after the 1960 Census. It encompassed the entire northern portion of the state, essentially wrapping around Phoenix and Maricopa County. After a mid-decade redistricting in 1967, the 3rd absorbed a slice of western Maricopa County, including most of what became the West Valley.
Due in part to explosive growth in the Phoenix/Maricopa portion of the district, the 3rd lost much of its eastern portion in the 1970 Census. Although it appeared rural on paper, the great majority of its population lived in the West Valley. By the 1970s, as many people lived in the West Valley as in the rest of the district combined.
After the 1990 Census, the district was reconfigured to include the Hopi Reservation on the other side of the state. This was a product of longstanding disputes between the Hopi and Navajo. Since tribal boundary disputes are a federal matter, it was long believed inappropriate to include both tribes' reservations in the same congressional district. However, the Hopi reservation is completely surrounded by the Navajo reservation. The final map saw the Hopi reservation connected to the rest of the district by a long, narrow tendril stretching through Coconino County. This was the only way to allow the district to remain contiguous without covering significant portions of Navajo land.
After the 2000 Census, this district essentially became the 2nd district, while the 3rd was reconfigured to include much of what had been the 4th district. It now contained most of northern Phoenix as well as some of its northern suburbs. Most of that territory became the 6th district after the 2010 Census, while the 3rd was shifted to cover most of what had been the 7th district. That district, in turn, had mostly been the 2nd district from 1951 to 2003.

Voting

Competitiveness

From 2003 to 2013, most of the district's population was in middle-to-upper class areas in the northern part of Phoenix. Like the metropolitan area in general, the 3rd district leaned Republican, although the southern parts of the district in east-central Phoenix and Paradise Valley were more competitive between the parties.
George W. Bush received 58% of the vote in this district in 2004. John McCain took in 56.47% of the vote in the district in 2008 while Barack Obama received 42.34%.

List of members representing the district

Arizona began sending a third member to the House after the 1960 Census.
RepresentativePartyYearsCongressElectoral historyGeography and Counties

George F. Senner Jr.		DemocraticJanuary 3, 1963 –
January 3, 1967		First elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Lost re-election.		Northern Arizona:
Apache, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Mohave, Navajo, Yavapai

Sam Steiger		RepublicanJanuary 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1977		First elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.		Northern Arizona, including parts of Metro Phoenix:
Apache, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Mohave, Navajo, Yavapai, Maricopa

Sam Steiger		RepublicanJanuary 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1977		First elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.		Western Arizona, including parts of Metro Phoenix:
Coconino, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma, Maricopa

Bob Stump		DemocraticJanuary 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1983		First elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Changed political parties.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-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.
Retired.		Western Arizona, including parts of Metro Phoenix:
Coconino, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma, Maricopa

Bob Stump		RepublicanJanuary 3, 1983 –
January 3, 2003		First elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Changed political parties.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-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.
Retired.		Western Arizona, including parts of Metro Phoenix:
Coconino, La Paz, Mohave, Yavapai, Maricopa, Yuma

Bob Stump		RepublicanJanuary 3, 1983 –
January 3, 2003		First elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Changed political parties.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-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.
Retired.		Western Arizona, including parts of Metro Phoenix:
La Paz, Mohave, Yavapai, Coconino, Maricopa, Navajo

John Shadegg		RepublicanJanuary 3, 2003 –
January 3, 2011		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Retired.
Parts of Metro Phoenix:

Maricopa

Ben Quayle		RepublicanJanuary 3, 2011 –
January 3, 2013		Elected in 2010.
Redistricted to the 6th district and lost renomination.
Parts of Metro Phoenix:

Maricopa

Raúl Grijalva		DemocraticJanuary 3, 2013 –
present		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.		Southern Arizona:
Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Tucson, Yuma

Recent election results

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018