Texas's 17th congressional district

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. 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%. 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:

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
Limestone
McLennan
Milam
Navarro (part)
Robertson
Williamson (part)

List of members representing the district

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center"

! Member (Residence)

! Party

! Years

! Cong ress

! Electoral history

|- style="height:3em"

| colspan=5 | District established March 4, 1919

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Thomas L. Blanton

| | Democratic

| nowrap | 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.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Robert Q. Lee

| | Democratic

| nowrap | March 4, 1929 – April 18, 1930

| rowspan=2 |

| Elected in 1928. Died.

|- style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | April 18, 1930 – May 20, 1930

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Thomas L. Blanton

| | Democratic

| nowrap | May 20, 1930 – January 3, 1937

| Elected to finish Lee's term. Re-elected in 1932. Re-elected in 1934. Lost renomination.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Clyde L. Garrett

| | Democratic

| nowrap | January 3, 1937 – January 3, 1941

| Elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Lost renomination.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Sam M. Russell

| | Democratic

| nowrap | January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1947

| Elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Retired.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Omar Burleson

| | Democratic

| nowrap | 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.

|- style="height:3em"

| colspan=2 | Vacant

| nowrap | December 31, 1978 – January 3, 1979

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Charles Stenholm

| | Democratic

| nowrap | 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.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Chet Edwards

| | Democratic

| nowrap | 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.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Bill Flores

| | Republican

| nowrap | 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.

|- style="height:3em"

| align=left | 100px Pete Sessions

| | Republican

| nowrap | January 3, 2021 – present

| Elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024.

Recent election results from statewide races

2023–2027 boundaries

{| class=wikitable

! Year

! Office

! Results

||2008

| President

| align="right" |McCain 61% - 38%

||2012

| President

| align="right" |Romney 65% - 35%

|rowspan=2|2014

| Senate

| align="right" |Cornyn 72% - 28%

| Governor

| align="right" |Abbott 69% - 31%

||2016

| President

| align="right" |Trump 62% - 34%

|rowspan=5|2018

| Senate

| align="right" |Cruz 61% - 39%

| Governor

| align="right" |Abbott 64% - 34%

| Lt. Governor

| align="right" |Patrick 59% - 38%

| Attorney General

| align="right" |Paxton 60% - 38%

| Comptroller of Public Accounts

| align="right" |Hegar 62% - 35%

|rowspan=2|2020

| President

| align="right" |Trump 61% - 38%

| Senate

| align="right" |Cornyn 61% - 36%

|rowspan=4|2022

| Governor

| align="right" |Abbott 65% - 34%

| Lt. Governor

| align="right" |Patrick 64% - 34%

| Attorney General

| align="right" |Paxton 63% - 34%

| Comptroller of Public Accounts

| align="right" |Hegar 66% - 32%

|rowspan=2|2024

| President

| align="right" |Trump 64% - 35%

| Senate

| align="right" |Cruz 62% - 36%

2027–2033 boundaries

{| class=wikitable

! Year

! Office

! Results

||2008

| President

| align="right" |McCain 60% - 39%

||2012

| President

| align="right" |Romney 64% - 36%

|rowspan=2|2014

| Senate

| align="right" |Cornyn 70% - 30%

| Governor

| align="right" |Abbott 67% - 33%

||2016

| President

| align="right" |Trump 58% - 36%

|rowspan=5|2018

| Senate

| align="right" |Cruz 57% - 43%

| Governor

| align="right" |Abbott 61% - 37%

| Lt. Governor

| align="right" |Patrick 56% - 41%

| Attorney General

| align="right" |Paxton 56% - 42%

| Comptroller of Public Accounts

| align="right" |Hegar 59% - 37%

|rowspan=2|2020

| President

| align="right" |Trump 57% - 41%

| Senate

| align="right" |Cornyn 58% - 39%

|rowspan=4|2022

| Governor

| align="right" |Abbott 60% - 39%

| Lt. Governor

| align="right" |Patrick 59% - 39%

| Attorney General

| align="right" |Paxton 58% - 39%

| Comptroller of Public Accounts

| align="right" |Hegar 62% - 36%

|rowspan=2|2024

| President

| align="right" |Trump 60% - 38%

| Senate

| align="right" |Cruz 58% - 40%

Election results

Historical district boundaries

thumb|left|

References

Sources

Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

History

Current composition

Future composition

List of members representing the district

Recent election results from statewide races

2023–2027 boundaries

2027–2033 boundaries

Election results

Historical district boundaries

See also

References

Sources