Texas's 17th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes a strip of Central Texas and Deep East Texas stretching from Nacogdoches to Waco and Round Rock, including former President George W. Bush's McLennan County ranch. The district is currently represented by Republican Pete Sessions.
From 2005 to 2013, it was an oblong district stretching from south of Tarrant County to Grimes County in the southeast. The 2012 redistricting made its area more square, removing the northern and southeastern portions, adding areas southwest into the northern Austin suburbs and east into Freestone and Leon counties. The district included two major universities, Texas A&M University in College Station and Baylor University in Waco.
Before 2005, the district stretched from the Abilene area to the outer western fringes of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
History After the 2003 Texas redistricting, engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, TX-17 was (along with MS-4) the most heavily Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, which rated it R+20. Congressional Quarterly. May 14, 2010. The district was drawn to make it Republican-dominated and unseat its longtime incumbent, conservative Democrat Chet Edwards. While several of his colleagues were defeated by Republicans in 2004, Edwards held on to the seat in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 elections.
But in the 2010 Congressional elections, the district elected Republican Bill Flores over Edwards by a margin of 61.8% to 36.6%.2010 Texas Election Results New York Times. November 13, 2010. Flores was the first Republican to be elected to represent the district since its creation in 1919. Flores retired after five terms and former Texas 32nd district Congressman Pete Sessions, a Waco native, was elected in 2020.
After passage of civil rights legislation and other changes, through the late 20th and early 21st centuries, white conservatives began to shift into the Republican Party in Texas. They first supported presidential candidates, and gradually more Republicans for local, state and national office, resulting in the 2010 switch in party representation.
Current composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST48/CD118_TX17.pdf
Angelina County (7)
All 7 communities
Falls County (5)
All 5 communities
Freestone County (1)
Teague
Houston County (5)
All 5 communities
Leon County (8)
All 8 communities
Limestone County (6)
All 6 communities
McLennan County (23)
All 23 communities
Milam County (9)
All 9 communities
Nacogdoches County (6)
All 6 communities
Robertson County (4)
All 4 communities
Travis County (2)
Pflugerville (part; also 10th, 35th, and 37th; shared with Williamson County), Round Rock (part; also 31st; shared with Travis County)
Trinity County (3)
All 3 communities
Walker County (2)
Huntsville (part; also 8th), Riverside
Williamson County (5)
Coupland, Hutto (part; also 31st), Pflugerville (part; also 10th, 35th, and 37th; shared with Travis County), Round Rock (part; also 31st; shared with Travis County), Thrall (part; also 31st)
Future composition Beginning with the 2026 election, the 17th district will consist of the following counties:
Bell (part) Bosque Falls Freestone Hill Johnson (part) Limestone McLennan Milam Robertson Williamson (part)
List of members representing the district Member(Residence) Party Years Congress Electoral history District established March 4, 1919 Thomas L. Blanton Democratic March 4, 1919 –March 3, 1929 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Retired to run for U.S. Senate. Robert Q. Lee Democratic March 4, 1929 –April 18, 1930 Elected in 1928.Died. Vacant April 18, 1930 –May 20, 1930 Thomas L. Blanton Democratic May 20, 1930 –January 3, 1937 Elected to finish Lee's term.Re-elected in 1932.Re-elected in 1934.Lost renomination. Clyde L. Garrett Democratic January 3, 1937 –January 3, 1941 Elected in 1936.Re-elected in 1938.Lost renomination. Sam M. Russell Democratic January 3, 1941 –January 3, 1947 Elected in 1940.Re-elected in 1942.Re-elected in 1944.Retired. Omar Burleson Democratic January 3, 1947 –December 31, 1978 Elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Re-elected in 1964.Re-elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Retired then resigned. Vacant December 31, 1978 –January 3, 1979 Charles Stenholm Democratic January 3, 1979 –January 3, 2005 Elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.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.Re-elected in 2002.Redistricted to the and lost re-election. Chet Edwards Democratic January 3, 2005 –January 3, 2011 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Lost re-election. Bill Flores Republican January 3, 2011 –January 3, 2021 Elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Retired. Pete Sessions Republican January 3, 2021 –present Elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024.
Recent election results from statewide races 2023–2027 boundaries Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 61% - 38%2012 PresidentRomney 65% - 35%2014 SenateCornyn 72% - 28% GovernorAbbott 69% - 31%2016 PresidentTrump 62% - 34%2018 SenateCruz 61% - 39% GovernorAbbott 64% - 34% Lt. GovernorPatrick 59% - 38% Attorney GeneralPaxton 60% - 38% Comptroller of Public AccountsHegar 62% - 35%2020 PresidentTrump 61% - 38% SenateCornyn 61% - 36%2022 GovernorAbbott 65% - 34% Lt. GovernorPatrick 64% - 34% Attorney GeneralPaxton 63% - 34% Comptroller of Public AccountsHegar 66% - 32%2024 PresidentTrump 64% - 35% SenateCruz 62% - 36%
2027–2033 boundaries Year Office Results2008 PresidentMcCain 60% - 39%2012 PresidentRomney 64% - 36%2014 SenateCornyn 70% - 30% GovernorAbbott 67% - 33%2016 PresidentTrump 58% - 36%2018 SenateCruz 57% - 43% GovernorAbbott 61% - 37% Lt. GovernorPatrick 56% - 41% Attorney GeneralPaxton 56% - 42% Comptroller of Public AccountsHegar 59% - 37%2020 PresidentTrump 57% - 41% SenateCornyn 58% - 39%2022 GovernorAbbott 60% - 39% Lt. GovernorPatrick 59% - 39% Attorney GeneralPaxton 58% - 39% Comptroller of Public AccountsHegar 62% - 36%2024 PresidentTrump 60% - 38% SenateCruz 58% - 40%
Election results
Historical district boundaries
See also
List of United States congressional districts
References
Sources
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present