Maryland's 3rd congressional district

Maryland's 3rd congressional district
Map
Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
Representative
Area292.74 sq mi (758.2 km2)
Distribution
  • 98.7% urban
  • 1.3% rural
Population (2023)778,152
Median household
income
$122,470[1]
Ethnicity
Occupation
Cook PVID+10[2]

Maryland's 3rd congressional district covers all of Howard county as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. The seat is currently represented by John Sarbanes, a Democrat.

Three people who represented Maryland in the United States Senate were also former representatives of the 3rd district, including Ben Cardin, Barbara Mikulski, and Paul Sarbanes.

The district's previously odd shape was attributed to gerrymandering to favor Democratic candidates, following the 2000[3] and 2010[4] censuses. In 2012, the district was found to be the third least compact congressional district in the United States,[5] and in 2014, The Washington Post called it the nation's second-most gerrymandered district.[6] John Sarbanes, the current Democratic Representative for the district, put forth the For the People Act of 2019 to address electoral reform, voting rights, and gerrymandering in the United States.[7][8] Following the 2020 redistricting cycle, it now includes Howard County, most of Anne Arundel County including Glen Burnie and Annapolis, and part of Carroll County, specifically the areas around Mount Airy. For the first time in decades, the district did not include Baltimore City or Baltimore County; meaning incumbent congressman John Sarbanes no longer lives in the district.

Historical boundaries

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Maryland's 3rd district was one of the 61 districts that elected a representative to the 1st United States Congress. It also has the distinction of being one of the few congressional districts that once included areas not currently in the state they are in. The 3rd congressional district originally was composed of Prince George's County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.[9] At that point, what is now Howard County, Maryland, was in Anne Arundel County, and Prince George's County included the eastern half of the District of Columbia.

In 1792, the Maryland 3rd Congressional District was moved to include Montgomery County, Maryland, and the eastern half of Frederick County, Maryland. The population was about 33,000.[10] However, the western portion of what is today Carroll County, Maryland was at this point in Frederick County, and the western half of the District of Columbia was in Montgomery County. This latter fact explains why the district lost population, even though it, in theory, did not experience redistricting after the 1800 census. With the population of Georgetown, D. C., no longer in the district, its 1800 population was about 31,000.[11] At this point, the 3rd was Maryland's least populous district, barely having half the population of the Baltimore City and County 5th district, which, in 1800, had just above 59,000 inhabitants.[12]

The boundaries remained the same after the 1810, 1820, and 1830 censuses. While, in 1820, the district had about 36,000 inhabitants, its population had risen to 53,622 in 1830.[13] With the formation of Carroll County in the 1830s, as well as Maryland falling from 8 to 6 congressional seats, the boundaries of the 3rd Congressional District were drastically redrawn. The only area that remained in the 3rd Congressional District was the part of Carroll County that had been in Frederick County. The 3rd also included Baltimore County and the western half of the city of Baltimore. Its new population was 69,923, 24.5% of whom were black.[14]

In 1853, the 3rd district was redrawn again. The new district consisted of Baltimore County, except for the northern and western parts of the county and about the eastern third of the City of Baltimore. The district now had a population of 95,729.[15] In the redistricting following the 1860 census, Maryland was reduced to five congressional districts. The 3rd was moved so that it contained the part of Baltimore that had not been in the 3rd before 1863. It now had a population of 130,040.[16] In 1873, the 3rd district was moved again, to be the east side of Baltimore. It now had a population of 120,978.[17]

Recent statewide election results

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Year Results
2000 Gore 55% – 41%
2004 Kerry 54% – 45%
2008 Obama 59% – 39%
2012 Obama 60% – 37%
2016 Clinton 62% – 32%
2020 Biden 69% – 29%

Composition

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# County Seat Population
1 Anne Arundel Annapolis 594,582
13 Carroll Westminster 176,639
27 Howard Ellicott City 336,001

Cities of 10,000 or more people

[edit]

2,500 – 10,000 people

[edit]

Recent elections

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2000s

[edit]
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Benjamin Cardin (Incumbent) 169,347 75.66
Republican Scott Conwell 53,827 24.05
Libertarian Joe Pomykala 238 0.11
Write-ins 406 0.18
Total votes 223,818 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2002
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Benjamin Cardin (Incumbent) 145,589 65.79
Republican Scott Conwell 75,721 34.21
Total votes 221,310 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Benjamin Cardin (Incumbent) 182,066 63.44% −2.35
Republican Robert P. Duckworth 97,008 33.80% −0.41
Green Patsy Allen 7,895 2.75% +2.75
Total votes 286,969 100.00
Democratic hold
Marylands's 3rd Congressional District election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Sarbanes 150,142 64.03% +0.59
Republican John White 79,174 33.76% −0.04
Libertarian Charles Curtis McPeek, Sr. 4,941 2.11% +2.11
Write-ins 229 0.10% +0.10
Total votes 234,486 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Sarbanes (Incumbent) 203,711 69.66% +5.63
Republican Thomas E. Harris 87,971 30.08% −3.68
No party Write-ins 766 0.26
Total votes 292,448 100.00
Democratic hold Swing

2010s

[edit]
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic John Sarbanes (Incumbent) 147,448 61.07% −8.59
Republican Jim Wilhelm 86,947 36.01% +5.93
Libertarian Jerry McKinley 5,212 2.16% +2.16
Constitution Alain Lareau 1,634 0.68% +0.68
No party Write-ins 188 0.1%
Total votes 241,429 100.00
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District election, 2012[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Sarbanes (Incumbent) 213,747 66.8
Republican Eric Delano Knowles 94,549 29.6
Libertarian Paul R. Drgos, Jr. 11,028 3.4
N/A Others (write-in) 535 0.2
Total votes 319,859 100
Maryland's 3rd congressional district, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Sarbanes (incumbent) 128,594 59.6
Republican Charles A. Long 87,029 40.3
n/a Write-ins 323 0.1
Total votes 215,946 100.0
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd congressional district, 2016[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Sarbanes (incumbent) 214,640 63.2
Republican Mark Plaster 115,048 33.9
Green Nnabu Eze 9,461 2.8
n/a Write-ins 526 0.1
Total votes 339,675 100.0
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Sarbanes (incumbent) 202,407 69.1
Republican Charles Anthony 82,774 28.3
Libertarian J. David Lashar 7,476 2.6
n/a Write-ins 223 0.1
Total votes 292,880 100.0
Democratic hold

2020s

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Maryland's 3rd congressional district, 2020[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Sarbanes (incumbent) 260,358 69.8
Republican Charles Anthony 112,117 30.0
Write-in 731 0.2
Total votes 373,206 100.0
Democratic hold
Maryland's 3rd congressional district, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Sarbanes (incumbent) 175,514 60.2
Republican Yuripzy Morgan 115,801 39.7
Write-in 287 0.1
Total votes 291,602 100.0
Democratic hold

List of members representing the district

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Member Party Years Cong
ress
Electoral history Location
District created March 4, 1789

Benjamin Contee
(Charles County)
Anti-Administration March 4, 1789 –
March 3, 1791
1st Elected in 1789.
Lost re-election.

William Pinkney
(Annapolis)
Pro-Administration March 4, 1791 –
November 9, 1791
2nd Elected in 1790.
Resigned due to questions of ineligibility.
Vacant November 9, 1791 –
February 5, 1792

John Francis Mercer
(Galesville)
Anti-Administration February 5, 1792 –
March 3, 1793
Elected October 26–29, 1791 to finish Pinkney's term.
Redistricted to the 2nd district.

Uriah Forrest
(Georgetown)
Pro-Administration March 4, 1793 –
November 8, 1794
3rd Elected in 1792.
Re-elected in 1794.
Resigned.
Vacant November 8, 1794 –
January 2, 1795
Benjamin Edwards
(Montgomery County)
Pro-Administration January 2, 1795 –
March 3, 1795
Elected to finish Forrest's term.
Retired.
Jeremiah Crabb
(Rockville)
Federalist March 4, 1795 –
June 1, 1796
4th Elected in 1794.
Resigned.
Vacant June 1, 1796 –
December 5, 1796
William Craik
(Baltimore)
Federalist December 5, 1796 –
March 3, 1801
4th
5th
6th
Elected October 3, 1796 to finish Crabb's term.
Also elected the same day to the next term.
Re-elected in 1798.
Retired.
Thomas Plater
(Georgetown)
Federalist March 4, 1801 –
March 3, 1805
7th
8th
Elected in 1801.
Re-elected in 1803.
Lost re-election.

Patrick Magruder
(Rockville)
Democratic-Republican March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1807
9th Elected in 1804.
Lost re-election.

Philip Barton Key
(Rockville)
Federalist March 4, 1807 –
March 3, 1813
10th
11th
12th
Elected in 1806.
Re-elected in 1808.
Re-elected in 1810.
Retired.

Alexander Contee Hanson
(Rockville)
Federalist March 4, 1813 –
1816
13th
14th
Elected in 1812.
Re-elected in 1814.
Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.
Vacant 1816 –
October 7, 1816
14th

George Peter
(Darnestown)
Federalist October 7, 1816 –
March 3, 1819
14th
15th
Elected to finish Hanson's term.
Also elected to the next term in 1816.
Lost re-election.
Henry Ridgely Warfield
(Middleburg)
Federalist[a] March 4, 1819 –
March 3, 1825
16th
17th
18th
Elected in 1818.
Re-elected in 1820.
Re-elected in 1822.
Retired.

George Peter
(Darnestown)
Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1827
19th Elected in 1824.
Lost re-election.

George Corbin Washington
(Rockville)
Anti-Jacksonian March 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1833
20th
21st
22nd
Elected in 1826.
Re-elected in 1829.
Re-elected in 1831.
[data missing]
James Turner
(Wiseburg)
Jacksonian March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1837
23rd
24th
Elected in 1833.
Re-elected in 1835.
[data missing]
John Tolley Hood Worthington
(Shawan)
Democratic March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1841
25th
26th
Elected in 1837.
Re-elected in 1839.
[data missing]
James Wray Williams
(Churchville)
Democratic March 4, 1841 –
December 2, 1842
27th Elected in 1841.
Died.
Vacant December 2, 1842 –
January 2, 1843
Charles S. Sewall
(Elkton)
Democratic January 2, 1843 –
March 3, 1843
Elected to finish Williams's term.
[data missing]
John Wethered
(Franklin)
Whig March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1845
28th Elected late in 1844.
[data missing]

Thomas Watkins Ligon
(Ellicotts Mills)
Democratic March 4, 1845 –
March 3, 1849
29th
30th
Elected in 1845.
Re-elected in 1847.
[data missing]
Edward Hammond
(Ellicotts Mills)
Democratic March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1853
31st
32nd
Elected in 1849.
Re-elected in 1851.
[data missing]

Joshua Van Sant
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
33rd Elected in 1853.
[data missing]

James Morrison Harris
(Baltimore)
Know Nothing March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1861
34th
35th
36th
Elected in 1855.
Re-elected in 1857.
Re-elected in 1859.
[data missing]
Cornelius Leary
(Baltimore)
Union March 4, 1861 –
March 3, 1863
37th Elected in 1861.
[data missing]

Henry Winter Davis
(Baltimore)
Unconditional Union March 4, 1863 –
March 3, 1865
38th Elected in 1863.
[data missing]

Charles Edward Phelps
(Baltimore)
Unconditional Union March 4, 1865 –
March 3, 1867
39th
40th
Elected in 1864.
Re-elected in 1866.
[data missing]
Conservative March 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1869

Thomas Swann
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1869 –
March 3, 1873
41st
42nd
Elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
Redistricted to the 4th district.

William James O'Brien
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1877
43rd
44th
Elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
[data missing]

William Kimmel
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1877 –
March 3, 1881
45th
46th
Elected in 1876.
Re-elected in 1878.
[data missing]

Fetter Schrier Hoblitzell
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1881 –
March 3, 1885
47th
48th
Elected in 1880.
Re-elected in 1882.
[data missing]

William Hinson Cole
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1885 –
July 8, 1886
49th Elected in 1884.
Died.
Vacant July 8, 1886 –
November 2, 1886

Harry Welles Rusk
(Baltimore)
Democratic November 2, 1886 –
March 3, 1897
49th
50th
51st
52nd
53rd
54th
Elected to finish Cole's term.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Re-elected in 1894.
[data missing]

William Samuel Booze
(Baltimore)
Republican March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1899
55th Elected in 1896.
[data missing]

Frank Charles Wachter
(Baltimore)
Republican March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1907
56th
57th
58th
59th
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
[data missing]

Harry Benjamin Wolf
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1907 –
March 3, 1909
60th Elected in 1906.
[data missing]

John Kronmiller
(Baltimore)
Republican March 4, 1909 –
March 3, 1911
61st Elected in 1908.
[data missing]

George Konig
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1911 –
May 31, 1913
62nd
63rd
Elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Died.
Vacant May 31, 1913 –
November 4, 1913
63rd

Charles Pearce Coady
(Baltimore)
Democratic November 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1921
63rd
64th
65th
66th
Elected to finish Konig's term.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
[data missing]

John B.P.C. Hill
(Baltimore)
Republican March 4, 1921 –
March 3, 1927
67th
68th
69th
Elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
[data missing]

Vincent L. Palmisano
(Baltimore)
Democratic March 4, 1927 –
January 3, 1939
70th
71st
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
Elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
[data missing]

Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.
(Baltimore)
Democratic January 3, 1939 –
May 16, 1947
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
Elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Resigned to become Mayor of Baltimore.
Vacant May 16, 1947 –
July 15, 1947
80th

Edward Garmatz
(Baltimore)
Democratic July 15, 1947 –
January 3, 1973
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
85th
86th
87th
88th
89th
90th
91st
92nd
Elected to finish D'Alesandro Jr.'s term.
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.
[data missing]

Paul Sarbanes
(Baltimore)
Democratic January 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1977
93rd
94th
Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
1973–1983
[data missing]

Barbara Mikulski
(Baltimore)
Democratic January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1987
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
1983–1993
[data missing]

Ben Cardin
(Baltimore)
Democratic January 3, 1987 –
January 3, 2007
100th
101st
102nd
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
109th
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.
Re-elected in 2004.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator.
1993–2003
[data missing]
2003–2013

John Sarbanes
(Baltimore)
Democratic January 3, 2007 –
present
110th
111th
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
118th
Elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Retiring at end of term.
2013–2023
2023–present

See also

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Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Supported the Adams-Clay faction in the 1824 United States presidential election

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "My Congressional District".
  2. ^ "2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List". The Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows, Even Stranger Congressional Boundaries". Maryland Newsline, University of Maryland. February 20, 2004. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved May 6, 2007.
  4. ^ "Maryland Redistricting Plan Advances". The Washington Post. October 17, 2011.
  5. ^ Lazarick, Len (October 3, 2012). "Maryland has least compact congressional districts in nation". MarylandReporter.com. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  6. ^ Ingraham, Christopher (May 15, 2014). "America's most gerrymandered congressional districts". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  7. ^ Sarbanes, John (January 3, 2019). "H.R.1 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): To expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and for other purposes". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  8. ^ 116th Congress (2019) (January 3, 2019). "H.R. 1 (116th)". Legislation. GovTrack.us. Retrieved March 7, 2019. For the People Act of 2019{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Parson, Stanley B., William W. Beach, and Dan Hermann. United States Congressional Districts, 1788–1841 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1978) p. 8-9
  10. ^ Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 42-43
  11. ^ Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 93-94
  12. ^ Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 94
  13. ^ Parsons. Congressional Districts p. 234, 318
  14. ^ Parson, Stanley B., William W. Beach, and Michael J. Durbin. United States Congressional Districts, 1843–1883 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1986) p. 16
  15. ^ Parsons. Con. Dis. 1843–1883 p. 64
  16. ^ Parsons. Con. Dis. 1843–1883 p. 115
  17. ^ Parsons. Con. Dis. 1843–1883 p. 177
  18. ^ "Unofficial 2012 Presidential General Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  19. ^ "Official 2016 Presidential General Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland Secretary of State. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  20. ^ "Official 2020 Presidential General Election results for Representative in Congress". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 14, 2020.

39°09′N 76°36′W / 39.15°N 76.6°W / 39.15; -76.6