How many congressmen and congressmen-elect live outside their districts?
Rep.-elect Morgan Griffith, R-Salem
That was the question posed to me by UVa political scientist Larry Sabato during a call this afternoon.
Newly elected Morgan Griffith lives just outside the 9th District, although that will almost certainly be remedied in next year’s redistricting.
“He might be one of two or three, and maybe the only freshman,” Sabato said.
So that got us thinking. We called the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, but the folks there didn’t know the answer.
We then turned to Google.
Take it with a grain of salt, since this may be an incomplete search, but it appears that — prior to last Tuesday’s election — four members of the House served from outside their district: Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah; John Garamendi, D-Calif.; Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill.; and David Scott, D-Ga.
At least one of those (Gutierrez) started in his district, was redistricted out but somehow kept his seat.
Starting next year, however, the number of congressmen representing their district from outside the boundaries will double!
Besides Griffith, we’ve got Reid Ribble, R-Wis.; Bobby Schilling, R-Ill.; and Allen West, R-Fla.
That makes not two, not three, but eight eventual members of the House who currently live outside their districts. (At least one of those has said he plans to move soon.)
Eight! That’s enough to create a “Carpetbagger Caucus”! If that happens, remember — you heard it here first.
November 10, 2010 - 4:40 PM
To suggest a Carpetbagger’s Caucus is a thinly veiled insult to our newly elected Congressman. Since the people of the 9th District overwhelmingly selected Griffith to be their voice in Washington they have demonstrated they were more concerned about what their elected representative does in Washington rather than where he sleeps. Elections have consequences and you lost.
#1 SD, that wasn’t thinly veiled at all. It was pretty much a blatant insult. And a good one, too.
I’m sure “Carpetbagger” is used only in the loosest sense here and not intended as an insult to Griffith. But, SW Dave, I understand where you are coming from. I certainly think we do things differently (and fairly) here in Virginia. Griffith will be living in his district after re-apportionment and won the district to be THEIR representative in Washington. As SW Dave has indicated, elections have consequences and the Dems lost this one. Let Griffith serve and represent his SW Virginia people’s desires for the government in Washington. And that means, at times, not following only what his PARTY may want. Representative Griffith–Do what your people want; that’s why you were elected. They trust you–continue to earn that trust.
Not an insult, but a wisecrack.
We were surprised by the fact there were so many congressmen & congressmen-elect who live outside their districts, and amused by the idea they might form a caucus. And I like the way “Carpetbagger Caucus” rolls off the tongue.
I grew up an hour north of the Roanoke Valley, so it would be a stretch for me to legitimately call someone a “carpetbagger,” considering I indirectly moved south (after moving north, west, east and north again) to go from Clifton Forge to Roanoke.
OK, then, a wisecrack. My mistake.
Even with redistricting, Goodlatte will be Griffth’s Congressman through 2012.
The author forgot to mention Rep. Tom McClintock, R-CA. He lives in CA-3, represented by Dan Lungren, but represents the 4th district. As a matter of fact, Lungren’s district may be the only one in the country that is home to three members of Congress: himself, McClintock, and John Garamendi. Of course that’s going to change after redistricting next year.
Boucher’s big mistake was supporting Obama’s agenda. He also was a bit arrogant by not agreeing to show up at the several candidate debates that were held around SWVA. Gave people the impression he was a lock for re-election. OOOPS – bad move Rick.
Boucher was a victim of tea party mania, pure & simple. Like so many other moderate Dem’s who ably served their conservative districts, he was targeted by the Koch faction and eliminated. The end result is that now, after two decades of receiving lots of federal monies targeted towards infrastructure development and new industries entering SW Va, the tap has been shut.
Watch how dry it is for the next two decades while mindless voters only focus on the R at the end of the name, and ignore the reality that surrounds them. Less jobs, less investment, less maintenance of infrastructure, less businesses staying in the region, less opportunity for young adults, less workers’ benefits, less environmental health, less federal support, less Commonwealth support, less – do I really need to go on?
Those who understand the impact of all the previous don’t need more reasons. Those who refuse to consider the impact of the previous are the ones who only vote based on the R behind the name…
#9- abdnva, it’s not just the “moderate Dem’s” who are on their list. It looks like they are targeting all moderates- Republican and Democrat. If they are successful then all we’ll have left are extremist on both sides, neither willing to work with the other, and this country withering in the middle.
With their billions, the Koch brothers can parlay their puppets… err… the tea party into something that will refill their financial pockets, shaft the middle income of America, and keep the foolish at their knees. What a great thing! I wonder why more aren’t willing servants of the Kochs?
Anybody want to provide more insight? Anybody want to provide any evidence that the Kochs aren’t just in it to deepen their own pockets? Anybody want to show evidence the Koch brothers will even admit they are in it for anything other than the politics?