Tennessee's 8th congressional district


The 8th congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in West Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican David Kustoff since January 2017.

Current Boundaries

The district is located in West Tennessee. It borders Kentucky to the north, Arkansas and Missouri to the west, and Mississippi to the south.
It is currently composed of the following counties: Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Haywood, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, Obion, Tipton, and Weakley. It also contains a large piece of Shelby County and a small piece of Benton.

Characteristics

The district appears rural on a map, but the bulk of its vote is cast in the suburban areas around Memphis, such as Germantown, Bartlett, and Collierville, as well as Fayette and Tipton counties. This area boasts some of the highest median incomes in the state.
The rest of the district is composed mostly of small towns and farming communities. The district already had a strong social conservative tint which grew even more pronounced when eastern Memphis was added to the district; many of the state's most politically active churches are located here.
According to the 2010 census, the five largest cities located mostly with the district are: Jackson, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, and Dyersburg.

Election results from presidential races

History

Districts similar to today's 8th have been in place since Reconstruction.
During the early 20th century, most of northwest Tennessee was represented by Democrats Finis J. Garrett, Jere Cooper, Clifford Davis, then Cooper again from 1953 to 1957. Cooper was succeeded by Fats Everett, who served until his death in early 1969.
The district's current form of including Memphis suburbs began in 1967 due to a re-districting caused by the Baker v. Carr ruling.
Following Everett's death in 1969, the district chose former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Ed Jones in a special election. Jones served the area in Congress for just under twenty years until his retirement in 1988.
Upon Jones' retirement, the district selected Democrat John S. Tanner as its representative.
Following eleven terms in Congress, Tanner retired.
In 2011, the district chose Republican businessman Stephen Fincher over Democrat state senator Roy Herron. It marked the first time since Reconstruction that a Republican had represented northwest Tennessee.
Following the 2010 census, the district lost its remaining territory in Middle Tennessee, meaning it was entirely within West Tennessee for the first time since 1968. In the same census, the 7th lost its remaining claims in Shelby County, meaning that since 2012, any area of Shelby County that is not in the 9th is in the 8th.
In 2016, Fincher retired and was succeeded by Republican David Kustoff, a former United States Attorney.

List of members representing the district

Historical district boundaries