Mississippi's 4th congressional district

Mississippi's 4th congressional district covers the southeastern region of the state. It includes all of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, stretching ninety miles between the Alabama border to the east and the Louisiana border to the west, and extends north into the Pine Belt region. It includes three of Mississippi's four most heavily populated cities: Gulfport, Biloxi, and Hattiesburg. Other major cities within the district include Bay St. Louis, Laurel, and Pascagoula.^[2]

The people of the Mississippi's 4th are currently represented by Republican Steven Palazzo. During the 111th Congress, MS-4, along with Texas's 17th congressional district, was the most Republican district in the nation to be represented by a Democrat,^[3] with a Cook PVI of R+20. However, on November 2, 2010, the Democratic incumbents of both districts were defeated by their respective Republican challengers. State Representative Steven Palazzo defeated Rep. Gene Taylor by a 5% vote differential.^[4]

From statehood to the election of 1846, Mississippi elected representatives at-large statewide on a general ticket.

Cities

Three of Mississippi's four most heavily populated cities, Gulfport, Biloxi, Hattiesburg are in the Fourth District. Other major cities within the district include Bay St. Louis, Laurel, and Pascagoula.

Counties

Since 2013 the entire counties of Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone, George, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, Jones, and Wayne, along with the southeastern part of Clarke are counted in this district.

Federal highways

Interstate 59 is an important north-south route that traverses the district, while coastal Interstate 10 serves as the major east-west route. US Highway 49 is a vital hurricane evacuation route and is four-laned from Gulfport to Jackson.

Boundaries

Prior to 2003, the district included most of Jackson, all of Natchez and the southwestern part of the state. Much of the black-majority area is now part of Mississippi's 2nd congressional district. In 2003, after Mississippi lost a seat in redistricting, most of the old 5th District was redefined as the new 4th District.^[5]

The perimeter of the current Fourth District extends across the ninety-mile coastal southern edge of Mississippi from the Louisiana border to the Alabama border, following the Alabama state line north along the eastern border of the state to a point due east of Quitman in Clarke County where it is bounded by the 3rd District and then moves in an irregular fashion south of Quitman until it reaches the county line with Wayne County, and then follows the northern and western borders to wholly contain Jones, Forrest, Lamar, and Marion counties until it reaches the Louisiana state line, ultimately bounded by the Pearl River winding to its outlet in Lake Borgne.

History

The Fourth District, like most of Mississippi, is built on a strong history of agriculture.

List of representatives

Representative	Took Office	Left Office	Party	District Home	Notes	Congress
District created March 4, 1847
Albert G. Brown	March 4, 1847	March 3, 1853	Democratic			30th - 32nd
Wiley Pope Harris	March 4, 1853	March 3, 1855	Democratic			33rd
William Augustus Lake	March 4, 1855	March 3, 1857	Know Nothing			34th
Otho Robards Singleton	March 4, 1857	January 12, 1861	Democratic		Withdrew	35th - 36th
Civil War and Reconstruction						36th - 41st
George Colin McKee	March 4, 1869	March 3, 1873	Republican		Redistricted to the 5th district	41st - 42nd
Jason Niles	March 4, 1873	March 3, 1875	Republican			43rd
Otho Robards Singleton	March 4, 1875	March 3, 1883	Democratic		Redistricted to the 5th district	44th - 47th
Hernando D. Money	March 4, 1883	March 3, 1885	Democratic		Redistricted from the 3rd district	48th
Frederick G. Barry	March 4, 1885	March 3, 1889	Democratic			49th - 50th
Clarke Lewis	March 4, 1889	March 3, 1893	Democratic			51st - 52nd
Hernando D. Money	March 4, 1893	March 3, 1897	Democratic			53rd - 54th
Andrew F. Fox	March 4, 1897	March 3, 1903	Democratic			55th - 57th
Wilson S. Hill	March 4, 1903	March 3, 1909	Democratic			58th - 60th
Thomas U. Sisson	March 4, 1909	March 3, 1923	Democratic			61st - 67th
T. Jeff Busby	March 4, 1923	January 3, 1935	Democratic			68th - 73rd
Aaron L. Ford	January 3, 1935	January 3, 1943	Democratic			74th - 77th
Thomas G. Abernethy	January 3, 1943	January 3, 1953	Democratic		Redistricted to the 1st district	78th - 82nd
John B. Williams	January 3, 1953	January 3, 1963	Democratic		Redistricted from the 7th district, Redistricted to the 3rd district	83rd - 87th
W. Arthur Winstead	January 3, 1963	January 3, 1965	Democratic		Redistricted from the 5th district	88th
Prentiss Walker	January 3, 1965	January 3, 1967	Republican			89th
Sonny Montgomery	January 3, 1967	January 3, 1973	Democratic		Redistricted to the 3rd district	90th - 92nd
Thad Cochran	January 3, 1973	December 26, 1978	Republican		Resigned after being elected US Senate, took seat on early appointment	93rd - 95th
Jon Hinson	January 3, 1979	April 13, 1981	Republican		Resigned	96th - 97th
Wayne Dowdy	July 7, 1981	January 3, 1989	Democratic			97th - 100th
Mike Parker	January 3, 1989	November 10, 1995	Democratic			101st - 103rd
	November 10, 1995	January 3, 1999	Republican			104th - 105th
Ronnie Shows	January 3, 1999	January 3, 2003	Democratic			106th - 107th
Gene Taylor	January 3, 2003	January 3, 2011	Democratic		Redistricted from the 5th district, lost reelection in 2010	108th - 111th
Steven Palazzo	January 3, 2011	Present	Republican		Incumbent	112th -

Elections

2010

2008

2006

Fourth District incumbent Gene Taylor (D) was re-elected, gathering 80% of the Fourth District's vote. He is considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the House . His district has a Cook Political Report rating of R+16.

Taylor faced challenger Randall "Randy" McDonnell, a former IRS agent. McDonnell, the Republican Party nominee, had also unsuccessfully challenged Taylor in both 1998 and 2000.

Taylor first was elected in 1989 to Mississippi's 5th congressional district, after having lost to Larkin I. Smith in the 1988 race for that open seat, which had been vacated by Trent Lott when Lott made a successful run for the Senate. Smith died eight months later in a plane crash. Taylor came in first in the special election primary to fill the seat, winning the runoff election two weeks later and taking office on October 18, 1989.

In 1990, Taylor won a full term in the 5th District with 81% of the vote, and has been reelected at each election since.

His district was renumbered the 4th after the redistricting of 2000, which cost Mississippi a Congressional seat. In 2004, Taylor was reelected to the House with 64% of their vote, choosing him over both Republican nominee Michael Lott and Reform nominee Tracella Hill.

2004

2002

Historical district boundaries

2003 - 2013

See also

• Mississippi's congressional districts
• List of United States congressional districts

References

• Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. 
• Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

Coordinates: 30°59′37″N 89°05′02″W / 30.99361°N 89.08389°W / 30.99361; -89.08389