Texas's 4th congressional district

Texas's 4th congressional district. The district encompasses a large, predominantly rural swath of northeastern Texas, stretching from the Red River border with Oklahoma southward toward the outskirts of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is one of the most consistently Republican districts in the nation, having been represented by members of the GOP since the early 1990s. The current representative is Pat Fallon, a former member of the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives.

History

The district was created following the 1900 United States census, electing its first member, Choice B. Randell, to the 58th United States Congress in 1903. For much of the 20th century, it was a classic Solid South Democratic stronghold, represented by figures like Sam Rayburn, the legendary Speaker who served from 1913 to 1961. The political alignment began to shift during the era of President Ronald Reagan, with Republican Ralph Hall winning the seat in 1980. Hall, a former Democrat who switched parties in 2004, held the district until his defeat in the 2014 Republican primary by John Ratcliffe. Following Ratcliffe's appointment as Director of National Intelligence under President Donald Trump, Pat Fallon won a special election in 2021. The district's boundaries have been significantly altered multiple times through redistricting, most recently by the Texas Legislature following the 2020 United States census.

Geography

Covering over 12,000 square miles, the district is one of the largest by area east of the Mississippi River. It spans all or parts of 18 counties, including Collin, Grayson, Hunt, Lamar, and Rockwall. Major population centers include Sherman, the county seat of Grayson County; Paris, the county seat of Lamar County; and the fast-growing exurban cities of McKinney and Allen in Collin County. The district's geography is defined by the Blackland Prairie ecoregion, numerous reservoirs like Lake Texoma and Lake Lavon, and its proximity to the economic engine of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

Demographics

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey, the district has a population of approximately 766,000. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly non-Hispanic white, with significant and growing Hispanic and Black communities. Key economic sectors include agriculture, manufacturing, defense contracting, and logistics, with major employers such as Texas Instruments, Raytheon Technologies, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers facilities at Lake Texoma. Educational attainment levels are near the state average, with institutions like Austin College in Sherman and Paris Junior College serving the region.

Recent election results

The district is a Republican bastion in federal elections. In the 2020 United States presidential election, Donald Trump carried the district with over 71% of the vote. In the concurrent 2020 United States House of Representatives elections, then-Representative John Ratcliffe was re-elected with 76% before his resignation. The subsequent 2021 Texas's 4th congressional district special election was won by Pat Fallon with 61% of the vote. Fallon was re-elected in the 2022 United States House of Representatives elections against Democratic nominee Iro Omere, securing over 66% of the vote. Down-ballot races for the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives are also consistently won by Republican candidates.

List of representatives

{| class="wikitable" |- ! Representative ! Party ! Years ! Congress(es) ! Notes |- | Choice B. Randell | Democratic | 1903–1913 | 58th–62nd | First representative after district's creation. |- | Sam Rayburn | Democratic | 1913–1961 | 63rd–87th | Served as Speaker of the House for 17 years. |- | Ray Roberts | Democratic | 1962–1981 | 87th–97th | Previously represented Texas's 2nd congressional district. |- | Ralph Hall | Democratic (until 2004)
Republican (from 2004) | 1981–2015 | 97th–113th | Oldest person ever to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. |- | John Ratcliffe | Republican | 2015–2020 | 114th–116th | Resigned to become Director of National Intelligence. |- | Pat Fallon | Republican | 2021–present | 117th–present | Incumbent; former member of the Texas Senate. |} Category:Texas's congressional districts