Michigan's 4th congressional district

Michigan's 4th congressional district is a United States Congressional district that from 2003 to 2013 included portions of Northern and Central Michigan, consisting of all of Clare, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Isabella, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montcalm, Osceola, and Roscommon counties and the northern portion of Shiawassee and most of the western portion of Saginaw counties. The district was slightly altered in the 2012 redistricting.

The 4th is represented by John Moolenaar. This district has had Republican representation since the 1970s.

Major cities

• Midland
• Saginaw Township
• Mount Pleasant
• Owosso
• Thomas Township
• Bridgeport Township
• Big Rapids
• Alma

Voting

United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2010 | United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2012 | United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2014

History

Michigan's 4th Congressional District was first formed in 1852. At this time It covered everywhere from Macomb County to the western end of the Upper Peninsula. Ingham County was not in the district, and then the boundary turned northward after Eaton County only going west again Midland County was reached. It went west again along Midland and subsequent counties southern lines and then headed north again on the east side of Muskegon County, with Manistee being its southern county that bordered Lake Michigan.

In 1863 it gained the areas around Grand Rapids and Muskegon but lost everything east of Ionia County and most of the Upper Peninsula. In 1872 it was redrawn to cover Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, Van Buren and St. Joseph Counties. In 1892 these boundaries were altered by the addition of Allegan and Berry Counties but the subtraction of Kalamazoo County. This remained the district boundaries for the next 72 years.

In 1964 the 4th district was redrawn. Berry County was subtracted from the district while Branch and Hillsdale Counties were added. In 1972 the district boundaries were altered by adding small sections of Calhoun County and subtracting small portions of Hillsdale and St. Joseph Counties.

The 1982 redistricting removed from the district all of Hillsdale County and the portion of Calhoun County that was in the district. Quincy and Butler Townships in Branch County were also removed. In Kalamazoo County Schoolcraft Township and most of Portage were added to the district. The southern and western portions of Allegan County and most of western Ottawa County including Holland, Michigan were also in the district.

In the renumbering of 1992 this district essentially became the 6th, while the old 10th decame the new 6th.

The old 10th and 1990s 6th

The old 10th included most of Grand Traverse and all of Kalkaska County which were lost to the new 1st (old 11th) in the 1992 redistricting. It also included Wexford County that was moved to the new 2nd (old 9th) in the 1992 redistricting. The only other areas lost were small parts of Antrim and Iosco Counties and a portion of Shiawasee County consisting of Durand and Vernon Township.

The new 4th gained Montcalm county from the old 9th district. It gained the Clinton and most of the Shiawasee portions of the old 6th district and the northern half of Oscoda County. It also gained a portion of south-west Saginaw County and the portion of Midland County that had not been in the old 10th.

In 2002 Leelaunau County and a small section of north-west Grand Traverse County were the only areas gerrymandered from the 1st and other districts into to the 4th that had not been in the old 10th.

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	Congress	Notes
District created		March 4, 1853
Hestor L. Stevens	Democratic	March 4, 1853 - March 3, 1855	33rd
George Washington Peck	Democratic	March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1857	34th
De Witt C. Leach	Republican	March 4, 1857 - March 3, 1861	35th-36th
Rowland E. Trowbridge	Republican	March 4, 1861 - March 3, 1863	37th
Francis William Kellogg	Republican	March 4, 1863 - March 3, 1865	38th	Redistricted from the 3rd district
Thomas W. Ferry [1]	Republican	March 4, 1865 - March 3, 1871	39th-41st
Vacant		March 4, 1871 – December 4, 1871	45th
Wilder D. Foster [1]	Republican	December 4, 1871 - March 3, 1873	42nd	Redistricted to the 5th district
Julius C. Burrows	Republican	March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1875	43rd
Allen Potter	Democratic	March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1877	44th
Edwin W. Keightley	Republican	March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1879	45th
Julius C. Burrows	Republican	March 4, 1879 - March 3, 1883	46th-47th
George L. Yaple	Democratic [2]	March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1885	48th
Julius C. Burrows	Republican	March 4, 1885 - March 3, 1893	49th-52nd	Redistricted to the 3rd district
Henry F. Thomas	Republican	March 4, 1893 - March 3, 1897	53rd-54th
Edward L. Hamilton	Republican	March 4, 1897 - March 3, 1921	55th-66th
John C. Ketcham	Republican	March 4, 1921 - March 3, 1933	67th-72nd
George E. Foulkes	Democratic	March 4, 1933 - January 3, 1935	73rd
Clare Hoffman	Republican	January 3, 1935 - January 3, 1963	74th-87th
Edward Hutchinson	Republican	January 3, 1963 - January 3, 1977	88th-94th
David Stockman [3]	Republican	January 3, 1977- January 21, 1981	95th-97th	Resigned after being appointed Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Vacant		January 21, 1981 – April 21, 1981	97th
Mark D. Siljander [3]	Republican	April 21, 1981 - January 3, 1987	97th-99th
Fred Upton	Republican	January 3, 1987 - January 3, 1993	100th-102nd	Redistricted to the 6th district
Dave Camp	Republican	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2015	103rd-113th	Redistricted from the 10th district, Retired
John Moolenaar	Republican	January 3, 2015–	114th-

Historical district boundaries

1993 - 2003

2003 - 2013

See also

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

Notes

1. 1 2 Thomas W. Ferry was re-elected to the House in the general election November 8, 1870; the Michigan Legislature subsequently elected him to U.S. Senate January 18, 1871; Wilder D. Foster was elected April 4, 1871 to fill the vacancy in the House.
2. ↑ George L. Yaple was elected as a fusion candidate, but was seated in Congress with the Democratic Party.
3. 1 2 Dave Stockman resigned on January 27, 1981, to accept appointment as Director of the Office of Management and Budget under U.S. President Ronald Reagan. Mark D. Siljander was elected in a special election to fill the vacancy and assumed office on April 21, 1981.

References

• Govtrack.us for the 4th District - Lists current Senators and representative, and map showing district outline
• The Political graveyard: U.S. Representatives from Michigan, 1807-2003
• U.S. Representatives 1837-2003, Michigan Manual 2003-2004
• 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: 43°43′54″N 84°45′01″W / 43.73167°N 84.75028°W / 43.73167; -84.75028