Maryland's 8th congressional district

Maryland's 8th congressional district is a congressional district located entirely in Montgomery County. Adjacent to Washington, D.C., the 8th district takes in many of the city's wealthiest inner-ring suburbs, including Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Potomac. It also includes several more economically and racially diverse communities, the most populous of which are Rockville and Silver Spring.

With a median household income of $120,948, it is the ninth-wealthiest congressional district in the nation. The 8th district also has the eighth-highest share of residents with at least a bachelor's degree, at 63.9%. Those above-average numbers are largely due to the substantial presence of the federal government in nearby Washington, where thousands of the 8th district's residents commute to work on a daily basis. Several federal agencies are likewise located within the 8th district, including the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Two Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the district: Lockheed Martin and Marriott International. Almost 40% of the district's residents are immigrants, with the largest numbers coming from El Salvador, Ethiopia, India, China, Korea, Guatemala, and Peru. The district includes the Little Ethiopia area of Silver Spring and Takoma Park, and has the largest Ethiopian American population of any congressional district.

Politically, the district is heavily liberal. It has consistently sent Democratic representatives to Congress by wide margins since 2002. In 2020, Joe Biden won nearly 80% of its vote. Democrat Jamie Raskin has represented the seat since 2017.

History The district was created after the 1790 census in time for the 1792 election, was abolished after the 1830 census, and was reinstated after the 1960 census.

During redistricting after the 2000 census, the Democratic-dominated Maryland legislature sought to unseat then-incumbent Republican Connie Morella. One proposal went so far as to divide the district in two, effectively giving one to state Senator Christopher Van Hollen, Jr. and forcing Morella to run against popular Maryland State Delegate and Kennedy political family member Mark Kennedy Shriver. The final redistricting plan was less ambitious, restoring an eastern, heavily Democratic spur of Montgomery County removed in the 1990 redistricting to the 8th District (encompassing nearly all of the area "inside the Beltway"), as well as adding an adjacent portion from heavily Democratic Prince George's County. Although it forced Van Hollen and Shriver to run against each other in an expensive primary, the shift still made the district even more Democratic than its predecessor, and Van Hollen defeated Morella in 2002.

From 2003 to 2013 the district, in addition to the larger part of Montgomery County and the small portion of Prince George's County, included most of Frederick County (but not the City of Frederick), and southern Carroll County. The redrawn district was slightly less Democratic than its predecessor. While the Carroll and Frederick portions of the district tilted strongly Republican, the Montgomery County portion had twice as many people as the rest of the district combined, and Montgomery's Democratic tilt was enough to keep the district in the Democratic column. Since Morella left office, no Republican has crossed the 40 percent mark in the 8th District.

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:

Montgomery County (51)

Ashton-Sandy Spring (part; also 4th), Aspen Hill, Bethesda, Brookville, Brookmont, Burnt Mills, Cabin John, Calverton (part; also 4th; shared with Prince George's County), Chevy Chase (CDP), Chevy Chase (town), Chevy Chase Section Five, Chevy Chase Section Three, Chevy Chase View, Chevy Chase Village, Cloverly (part; also 4th), Colesville, Damascus (part; also 6th), Darnestown (part; also 6th), Derwood, Fairland (part; also 4th), Flower Hill, Forest Glen, Four Corners, Friendship Heights Village, Garrett Park, Glen Echo, Glenmont, Hillandale (part; also 6th; shared with Prince George's County), Kemp Mill, Kensington, Layhill, Laytonsville, Leisure World, Martin's Additions, Montgomery Village (part; also 6th), North Bethesda, North Chevy Chase, North Kensington, Olney, Potomac, Redland, Rockville, Silver Spring, Somerset, South Kensington, Spencerville (part; also 4th), Takoma Park (part; also 4th), Travilah, Washington Grove, Wheaton, White Oak

Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 73% – 26%2012 PresidentObama 73% – 27% SenateCardin 67% – 21%2014 GovernorBrown 64% – 36%2016 PresidentClinton 76% – 18% SenateVan Hollen 76% – 21%2018 SenateCardin 78% – 18% GovernorJealous 55% – 44% Attorney GeneralFrosh 79% – 21%2020 PresidentBiden 80% – 18%2022 SenateVan Hollen 82% – 18% GovernorMoore 80% – 17% ComptrollerLierman 76% – 23% Attorney GeneralBrown 81% – 19%2024 PresidentHarris 76% – 20% SenateAlsobrooks 67% – 31%

Recent elections 1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

List of members representing the district # Member Party Years Con-gress Electoral history District location District created March 4, 1793 1 William Vans Murray Pro-Administration March 4, 1793 –March 3, 1795 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1792.Re-elected in 1794.Retired. 1793–1803 Federalist March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 2 John Dennis Federalist March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1805 Elected in 1796.Re-elected in 1798.Re-elected in 1801.Re-elected in 1803.Retired. 1803–1813 3 Charles Goldsborough Federalist March 4, 1805 –March 3, 1817 Elected in 1804.Re-elected in 1806.Re-elected in 1808.Re-elected in 1810.Re-elected in 1812.Re-elected in 1814.Retired. 1813–1823 4 Thomas Bayly Federalist March 4, 1817 –March 3, 1823 Elected in 1816.Re-elected in 1818.Re-elected in 1820.Retired. 5 John S. Spence Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –March 3, 1825 Elected in 1822.Lost re-election. 1823–1833 6 Robert N. Martin Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –March 3, 1827 Elected in 1824.Retired. 7 Ephraim King Wilson Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –March 3, 1829 Re-elected in 1826.Re-elected in 1829.Retired. Jackson March 4, 1829 –March 3, 1831 8 John S. Spence Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1831 –March 3, 1833 Elected in 1831. 9 John T. Stoddert Jackson March 4, 1833 –March 3, 1835 Elected in 1833.Retired. 1833–1835 Seat eliminated March 4, 1835 Seat re-created January 3, 1967 10 Gilbert Gude Republican January 3, 1967 –January 3, 1977 Elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Retired. 1967–1973Montgomery 1973–1983Montgomery 11 Newton Steers Republican January 3, 1977 –January 3, 1979 Elected in 1976.Lost re-election. 12 Michael D. Barnes Democratic January 3, 1979 –January 3, 1987 Elected in 1978.Re-elected in 1980.Re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. 1983–1993Montgomery 13 Connie Morella Republican January 3, 1987 –January 3, 2003 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.Lost re-election after redistricting. 1993–2003Montgomery 14 Chris Van Hollen Democratic January 3, 2003 –January 3, 2017 Elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Retired to run for U.S. Senator. 2003–2013Montgomery, Prince George's 2013–2023Montgomery, Frederick, Carroll 15 Jamie Raskin Democratic January 3, 2017 –present Elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024. 2023–presentMontgomery

Maryland's 8th congressional district

Bron en licentie