Arizona's 8th congressional district

Arizona's 8th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona. It includes many of the suburbs north and west of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona. The district includes several high-income retirement communities, including Sun City West.

Arizona's 8th congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
  Debbie Lesko
RPeoria
Area9,057 sq mi (23,460 km2)
Distribution
  • 87.3% urban
  • 12.7% rural
Population (2022)811,500[1]
Median household
income
$79,042[2]
Ethnicity
Cook PVIR+10[3]

After redistricting for the 2012 general election, the new 8th district encompasses most of the Maricopa County portion of the old 2nd district, while most of the former 8th district became the 2nd congressional district.[4] It is the geographic and demographic successor of the old 2nd; while the 4th district contains most of the old 2nd's land, more than 92 percent of the old 2nd's constituents were drawn into the 8th.[5]

This seat was vacated by Representative Trent Franks on December 8, 2017. A special election was held on April 24, 2018, and won by Republican Debbie Lesko.

History edit

Arizona picked up an eighth congressional district after the 2000 census. It originally encompassed the extreme southeastern part of the state. It included all of Cochise County and parts of Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz counties. For all intents and purposes, it was the successor to what had been the 5th district from 1983 to 2003.

Longtime Republican Jim Kolbe retired in 2007, and was succeeded by Democrat Gabby Giffords, who was shot and severely wounded at a public event on January 8, 2011. Giffords resigned her seat in January 2012. A special election that was on June 12, 2012, elected Ron Barber as the new congressman.[6]

For the 2012 election, Barber was redistricted to the 2nd district, which includes the bulk of the old 8th district. The 8th was redrawn to include nearly all of the Maricopa County portion of the old 2nd district–as mentioned above, more than 92 percent of the old 2nd's population. The district had previously been the 3rd district from 1963 to 2003. That district's congressman, Republican Trent Franks, won the election for the new 8th.

Voting edit

Year Office Results
2004 President Bush 53–46%
2008 President McCain 52–46%
2012 President Romney 62–37%
2016 President Trump 58–37%
2020 President Trump 57–41%

John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, was also a resident of Arizona and one of the state's two United States Senators.

List of members representing the district edit

Arizona began sending an eighth member to the House after the 2000 Census. Prior to this time, most of the 8th's current territory was in the 5th district.

Member
(Residence)
Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history District location[7][8][9]
District created January 3, 2003
 
Jim Kolbe
(Tucson)
Republican January 3, 2003 –
January 3, 2007
108th
109th
Redistricted from the 5th district.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Retired.
2003–2013
 
Cochise; parts of Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz
 
Gabby Giffords
(Tucson)
Democratic January 3, 2007 –
January 25, 2012
110th
111th
112th
Elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Resigned.
Vacant January 25, 2012 –
June 19, 2012
112th
 
Ron Barber
(Tucson)
Democratic June 19, 2012 –
January 3, 2013
Elected to finish Giffords's term.
Redistricted to the 2nd district.
 
Trent Franks
(Glendale)
Republican January 3, 2013 –
December 8, 2017
113th
114th
115th
Redistricted from the 2nd district.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Resigned.
2013–2023
 
Part of Maricopa
Vacant December 8, 2017 –
May 7, 2018
115th
 
Debbie Lesko
(Peoria)
Republican May 7, 2018 –
present
115th
116th
117th
118th
Elected to finish Franks's term.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Retiring at end of term.
2023–present:
 
Part of Maricopa

Complete election results edit

2002 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Kolbe 126,930 63.33
Democratic Mary Judge Ryan 67,328 33.59
Libertarian Joe Duarte 6,142 3.06
Write-In Jim Dorrance 28 0.01
Majority 59,602 29.74
Total votes 200,428 100.00

2004 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Jim Kolbe (Incumbent) 183,363 60.36
Democratic Eva Bacal 109,963 36.20
Libertarian Robert Anderson 10,443 3.44
Majority 73,400 24.16
Total votes 303,769 100.00
Republican hold

2006 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gabby Giffords 137,655 54.25
Republican Randy Graf 106,790 42.09
Libertarian David F. Nolan 4,849 1.91
Independent Jay Quick 4,408 1.74
Majority 30,865 12.16
Total votes 253,720 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

2008 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gabby Giffords (Incumbent) 179,629 54.72
Republican Tim Bee 140,553 42.82
Libertarian Paul Davis 8,081 2.46
Majority 39,076 11.90
Total votes 328,266 100.00
Democratic hold

2010 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gabby Giffords (Incumbent) 138,280 48.76
Republican Jesse Kelly 134,124 47.30
Libertarian Steven Stoltz 11,174 3.94
Majority 4,156 1.46
Total votes 283,578 100.00
Democratic hold

2012 (special) edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district special election — June 12, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ron Barber 111,203 52.32
Republican Jesse Kelly 96,465 45.39
Green Charlie Manolakis 4,869 2.29
Majority 14,739 6.93
Total votes 212,538 100.00
Democratic hold

2012 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Trent Franks 172,809 63.35
Democratic Gene Scharer 95,635 35.06
Americans Elect Stephen Dolgos 4,347 1.59
Majority 77,174 28.29
Total votes 272,791 100.00
Republican hold

2014 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, November 4, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Trent Franks (Incumbent) 128,710 75.8
Americans Elect Stephen Dolgos 41,066 24.2
Majority 87,644 50.6
Total votes 169,776 100.00
Republican hold

2016 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Trent Franks (Incumbent) 204,942 68.6
Green Mark Salazar 93,954 31.4
Majority 110,988 37.2
Total votes 298,896 100
Republican hold

2018 (special) edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district special election - April 24, 2018[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Debbie Lesko 96,012 52.37 -16.23
Democratic Hiral Tipirneni 87,331 47.63 +47.63
Total votes 183,343 100.0
Majority 8,681 4.74
Republican hold Swing -16.2%

2018 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district, 2018[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Debbie Lesko (Incumbent) 168,835 55.5
Democratic Hiral Tipirneni 135,569 44.5
New Paradigm Party Steven Hummel (write-in) 13 0.0
Total votes 304,417 100.0
Republican hold

2020 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Debbie Lesko (incumbent) 251,633 59.6
Democratic Michael Muscato 170,816 40.4
Write-in 18 0.0
Total votes 422,467 100.0
Republican hold

2022 edit

Arizona's 8th congressional district election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Debbie Lesko (incumbent) 197,555 96.5
Democratic Jeremy Spreitzer (write-in) 5,145 2.5
Democratic Alixandria Guzman (write-in) 2,013 1.0
Total votes 204,713 100.0
Republican hold

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  2. ^ Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
  3. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Maps for the 2012 election" (PDF). Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  5. ^ Arizona Redistricting: Commission releases draft map. Daily Kos, October 4, 2011
  6. ^ Condon, Stephanie (January 23, 2012). "Gabrielle Giffords' resignation prompts special election". CBS News. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  7. ^ Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts, 1789-1983. New York: Macmillan Publishing.
  8. ^ Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress, 1789-1989. New York: Macmillan Publishing.
  9. ^ Congressional Directory: Browse 105th Congress Archived February 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "U.S. Representative in Congress - District No. 8". Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  11. ^ "2018 Arizona general election results" (PDF). Arizona Secretary of State. Retrieved June 9, 2019.

External links edit

33°41′44″N 112°17′59″W / 33.69556°N 112.29972°W / 33.69556; -112.29972