Michigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States congressional district that fully contains the 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and 20 counties of Northern Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. The district is currently represented by Republican Jack Bergman.
Characteristics
The district is the second-largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River by land area, only behind Maine's 2nd congressional district. Its boundaries contain the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan and much of the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Altogether, the district makes up about 44% of the land area of the state of Michigan yet contains only 7% of Michigan's population. It contains the second-longest shoreline of any district in the United States, behind Alaska's at-large congressional district.Counties and municipalities
For the 118th and successive Congresses, the district contains all or portions of the following counties and municipalities:Alcona 'County '
Alger County '
Alpena County '
Antrim County '
Arenac County '
Baraga County '
Benzie County '
Charlevoix County '
Cheboygan County '
Chippewa County '
Crawford County '
Delta County '
Dickinson County '
Emmet County '
Gogebic County '
Grand Traverse County '
Houghton County '
Iosco County '
Iron County '
Kalkaska County '
Keweenaw County '
Leelanau County '
Luce County '
Mackinac County '
Marquette County '
Menominee County '
Missaukee County '
Montmorency County '
Ogemaw County '
Ontonagon County '
Oscoda County '
Otsego County '
Presque Isle County '
Roscommon County '
Schoolcraft County '
Wexford 'County' ''''''
History
Prior to 1992, the 1st congressional district was a Detroit-based congressional district. From the election of Republican John B. Sosnowski in 1925 until 1964, the former 1st district was represented by only one non-Polish-American politician, Robert H. Clancy. Along with Sosnowski, 6 Polish-Americans served as the 1st district's representatives elected 7 times, since 1925. The other strong Polish Michigan congressional districts were the 15th district and the dissolved 16th district. In 1964, the 1st congressional district was drawn as a new, African-American majority district reflecting the changing demographics of Detroit, while most of the old 1st's territory was merged with the old 14th district. The old 1st's congressman, Lucien Nedzi, transferred to the reconfigured 14th, while John Conyers was elected to Congress from the new 1st district.Conyers held the seat until 1992, when his district essentially became the 14th district. Meanwhile, the 1st was reconfigured as the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan district, covering most of what had been the 11th district from 1892 to 1992. The 1st from 1992 to 2002 was similar to the present district, except that it did not extend nearly as far south along Lake Michigan, while it took in Traverse City and some surrounding areas on the west side of the state.