When Arizona was divided into congressional districts for the first time after the 1950 census, the 2nd district comprised the entire state outside of the
Phoenix area. Arizona gained a third seat after the 1960 census, and the 2nd was cut back to roughly the southern third of the state, stretching border-to-border from
New Mexico to
California. It ran along the entire length of the border with Mexico. By far the district's largest city was Tucson. The next largest city was
Yuma, in the far west. After a mid-decade redistricting in 1967, the district was pushed slightly to the north, picking up a portion of southern Phoenix. This configuration remained largely unchanged until the 1980 census, when much of eastern Tucson was drawn into the new . The 2nd district remained based in southern Arizona until the 2000 census, when Arizona picked up two districts. At that time, the old 2nd district essentially became the new , while most of the old 3rd district became the new 2nd district. Located in the northwestern corner of the state, it stretched into the western suburbs of Phoenix, known as the
West Valley. It consisted of all of
Peoria (within the exception of the portion of that city within Yavapai County) and
Surprise, most of
Glendale and much of western Phoenix in
Maricopa County, all of
Mohave County, and the
Hopi Nation in
Navajo and
Coconino counties. The size and diversity of the 2nd district (it included nearly all of the northwestern portion of the state) made it appear rural on a map. However, over 90 percent of its population lived in the strongly
conservative West Valley, historically a fairly safe
Republican area. The odd shape of the district was indicative of the use of
gerrymandering in its construction. The unusual division was not, however, drawn to favor politicians, but was due to historic tensions between the
Hopi and the
Navajo Native American tribes. Since tribal boundary disputes are a federal matter, it was long believed inappropriate to include both tribes' reservations in the same congressional district. However, the Hopi reservation is completely surrounded by the Navajo reservation. In order to comply with current Arizona redistricting laws, some means of connection was required that avoided including large portions of Navajo land, hence the narrow
riverine connection.
George W. Bush carried the district in
2004 with 61% of the vote.
John McCain won the district in
2008 with 60.75% of the vote to
Barack Obama's 38.07%. During the
2008 Super Tuesday Arizona Democratic primary, the district was won by
Hillary Clinton with 54.52% of the vote, while Obama received 35.62% and
John Edwards took in 7.43%. In the Arizona Republican primary, the 2nd district was won by favorite son McCain with 49.51%, while
Mitt Romney received 29.51% and
Mike Huckabee took in 10.46% of the district's vote. After the 2012 census, the bulk of the Maricopa County portion of the old 2nd became the 8th district, while the new 2nd district took in most of the territory of the old . That district, in turn, had been the 5th district from 1983 to 2003. In the
2014 midterms, the district was the last U.S. House race in the country to be decided, as the official recount began on December 1 due to Republican
Martha McSally leading incumbent Democratic congressman
Ron Barber by fewer than 200 votes. Ultimately, Barber lost to McSally by 167 votes.
Main industries Primary job fields of the people in the district include agriculture, ranching, livestock, mining, and tourism. The main irrigated crops are
cotton,
wheat,
corn,
grain,
sorghum,
alfalfa,
hay,
apples,
peaches,
cherries,
grapes,
pistachios,
pecans,
lettuce,
chili peppers, and other vegetables. The area has a multitude of U-pick vegetable farms and orchards, including several organic farms. Greenhouse
tomato and
cucumber operations have been completed in the past few years with much success. In
Cochise County there is the U.S. Army base
Fort Huachuca and numerous
military-industrial companies. In suburban and urban areas,
Walmarts are the most abundant superstores.
Schools Located within the district are
Northern Arizona University,
Diné College,
Yavapai College,
Prescott College, and
Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, and
Coconino Community College.
Tourism and recreation Tourism is an important industry as the district has numerous natural wonders, national forests, parks, and conservation areas. Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest National Parks highlight the public lands in the district. Other prominent tourist attractions include
Lake Powell,
Sedona,
Meteor Crater, and the self-proclaimed "World's Oldest Rodeo". Hiking, camping, fishing, and boating can be found throughout the region. The Apache-Sitgraves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto National forests are most or partially in the 2nd district. The sacred
Oak Flat site is also within the district. == Composition ==