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Tennessee's 2nd congressional district

U.S. House district for Tennessee

Summary

U.S. House district for Tennessee

Field	Value
state	Tennessee
district number	2
image name
image caption	Interactive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2023
representative	Tim Burchett
party	Republican
residence	Knoxville
distribution ref
percent urban	74.15
percent rural	25.85
population	813,928
population year	2024
median income	$72,659
percent white	82.1
percent hispanic	5.4
percent black	5.8
percent asian	1.8
percent more than one race	4.2
percent other race	0.6
cpvi	R+17

| percent more than one race = 4.2 The 2nd congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in East Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican Tim Burchett since January 2019. Although the district has taken many forms over the years, it has been centered on Knoxville since 1853. During the American Civil War era, the area was represented in Congress by Horace Maynard. Maynard switched parties many times but was pro-U.S. and did not resign from Congress when Tennessee seceded. Maynard entered Congress in 1857 (four years before the outbreak of the war) but did not leave entirely until 1875 (ten years after the war ended).

In the 1964 election, the district chose Knoxville mayor John Duncan, Sr. Duncan served for 23 years before he died in the summer of 1988. Following Duncan's death, the district elected his son, Jimmy. The younger Duncan served for over thirty years from late 1988 until his successor was sworn in early January 2019. Upon Jimmy Duncan's retirement, the district chose outgoing Knox County mayor Tim Burchett, who has served since January 2019.

The few Democratic pockets in the district are located in Knoxville, which has elected Democratic mayors consecutively since 2011, and sends Democratic legislators to the Tennessee General Assembly. However, they are no match for the overwhelming Republican bent of the rest of Knox County and the more suburban and rural areas. For example, Blount, Jefferson, and Grainger Counties are among the few counties in the country to have never supported a Democrat for president since the Civil War.

This district traditionally gives its members of Congress very long tenures in Washington, electing some of the few truly senior Southern Republican members before the 1950s. Since 1909, only seven people (not counting caretakers) have represented the district – Richard W. Austin, J. Will Taylor, John Jennings Jr., Howard Baker Sr., John Duncan Sr., Jimmy Duncan, and Burchett. All six of Burchett's predecessors have served at least ten years in Congress, with Taylor and the Duncans holding the seat for at least twenty years.

Current boundaries

The district is located in East Tennessee and borders Kentucky and Virginia to the north and North Carolina to the south. For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), it contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:

Blount County (11)

: All 11 communities

Campbell County (3)

: Fincastle, Jellico, LaFollete (part; also 3rd)

Claiborne County (4)

: All 4 communities

Grainger County (3)

: All 3 communities

Jefferson County (1)

: Strawberry Plains

Knox County (7)

: All 7 communities

Loudon County (7)

: All 7 communities

Union County (3)

: All 3 communities

Due to three county island parcels near Sweetwater, Tennessee, the district is not geographically contiguous — rather it is politically contiguous, with county exclaves "connected" despite being entirely-surrounded by Tennessee's 3rd congressional district.

History

The district is based in Knoxville and is largely coextensive with that city's metropolitan area. The area is known for being the home of the flagship campus for the University of Tennessee, hosting the 1982 World's Fair, and for being the headquarters for the Tennessee Valley Authority, Ruby Tuesday, and Pilot Flying J.

The 2nd is similar in character to the neighboring 1st. It has long been one of the safest districts in the nation for the Republican Party. No Democrat has represented the district since 1855, and Republicans have held the district continuously since 1867 — the longest time any party has retained any district. The Democrats waged some competitive races in the district during the 1930s. However, they have not put up a substantive candidate since 1964 and have only managed 40 percent of the vote twice since then.

Most of its residents supported the United States over the Confederacy during the American Civil War; it was one of four districts whose members of Congress did not resign when Tennessee declared secession from the United States in 1861. The area's residents immediately identified with the Republicans after hostilities ceased. Much of that sentiment was derived from the region's economic base of small-scale farming, with little or no use for slavery; thus, voters were mostly indifferent or hostile to the concerns of plantation owners and other landed interests farther west in the state, who aligned themselves with the Democratic Party. This loyalty has persisted through good times and bad ever since, despite the vast ideological changes in both political parties since that time.

Recent election results from statewide races

Year	Office	Results
	2008	President	McCain 64% - 34%
	2012	President	Romney 69% - 31%
	2016	President	Trump 65% - 30%
2018	Senate	Blackburn 57% - 42%
Governor	Lee 63% - 35%
2020	President	Trump 64% - 34%
Senate	Hagerty 66% - 32%
	2022	Governor	Lee 67% - 31%
2024	President	Trump 66% - 32%
Senate	Blackburn 65% - 33%

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years	Cong
ress	Electoral history	District location
District established March 4, 1805
[[File:George W Campbell cph.3a00320.jpg	100px]]
George W. Campbell
(Nashville)		Democratic-Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1809		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1805.
Re-elected in 1807.
Retired to become judge of the Tennessee Supreme Court.	1805–1813
"Hamilton district"
[[File:Robert-weakley-tennessee.jpg	100px]]
Robert Weakley
(Nashville)		Democratic-Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1809 –
March 3, 1811		Elected in 1809.
Retired.
[[File:Portrait of Governor John Sevier.jpg	100px]]
John Sevier
(Knoxville)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1811 –
September 24, 1815		Elected in 1811.
Re-elected in 1813.
Re-elected in 1815.
Died.
1813–1823
Vacant	nowrap	September 24, 1815 –
December 8, 1815
William G. Blount
(Knoxville)		Democratic-Republican	nowrap	December 8, 1815 –
March 3, 1819		Elected to finish Sevier's term.
Re-elected in 1817.
Retired.
[[File:John Alexander Cocke.jpg	100px]]
John A. Cocke
(Rutledge)	Democratic-Republican	March 4, 1819 –
March 3, 1825		Elected in 1819.
Re-elected in 1821.
Re-elected in 1823.
Re-elected in 1825.
Retired.
1823–1833
	Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1827
Pryor Lea
(Knoxville)		Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1831		Elected in 1827.
Re-elected in 1829.
Lost re-election.
Thomas D. Arnold
(Campbell Station)		Anti-Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1831 –
March 3, 1833		Elected in 1831.
Redistricted to the and lost re-election.
Samuel Bunch
(Rutledge)		Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1833 –
March 3, 1835		Elected in 1833.
Re-elected in 1835.
Lost re-election.	1833–1843

	Anti-Jacksonian	nowrap	March 4, 1835 –
March 3, 1837
Abraham McClellan
(Blountville)		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1843		Elected in 1837.
Re-elected in 1839.
Re-elected in 1841.
Retired.
William T. Senter
(Panther Springs)		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1845		Elected in 1842.
Retired.	1843–1853

William M. Cocke
(Rutledge)		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1845 –
March 3, 1849		Elected in 1845.
Re-elected in 1847.
Lost re-election as a Democrat.
Albert G. Watkins
(Panther Springs)		Whig	nowrap	March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1853		Elected in 1849.
Re-elected in 1851.
Redistricted to the and lost re-election.
[[File:William M. Churchwell - 34th TN.jpg	100px]]
William M. Churchwell
(Knoxville)		Democratic	nowrap	March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855		Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1853.
Retired.	1853–1863

William H. Sneed
(Knoxville)		Know Nothing	nowrap	March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1857		Elected in 1855.
Retired.
[[File:Horace Maynard - Brady-Handy.jpg	100px]]
Horace Maynard
(Knoxville)		Know Nothing	nowrap	March 4, 1857 –
March 3, 1859		Elected in 1857.
Re-elected in 1859.
Re-elected in 1861.
Could not seek re-election, as state was under Confederate occupation.
	Opposition	nowrap	March 4, 1859 –
March 3, 1861
	Union	nowrap	March 4, 1861 –
March 3, 1863
District inactive	nowrap	March 4, 1863 –
July 24, 1866		Civil War and Reconstruction
[[File:Horace Maynard - Brady-Handy.jpg	100px]]
Horace Maynard
(Knoxville)		Unconditional Union	nowrap	July 24, 1866 –
March 3, 1867		Elected in 1865.
Re-elected in 1867.
Re-elected in 1868.
Re-elected in 1870.
Redistricted to the .	1866–1873

	Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1867 –
March 3, 1873
[[File:Jacob Montgomery Thornburgh - Brady-Handy.jpg	100px]]
Jacob M. Thornburgh
(Knoxville)		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1879		Elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Retired.	1873–1883

[[File:Leonidas-houk-us1.jpg	100px]]
Leonidas C. Houk
(Knoxville)	Republican	March 4, 1879 –
May 25, 1891		Elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Re-elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Re-elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Died.
1883–1893
Vacant	nowrap	May 25, 1891 –
December 7, 1891
[[File:John-chiles-houk-tn.jpg	100px]]
John C. Houk
(Knoxville)	Republican	December 7, 1891 –
March 3, 1895		Elected to finish his father's term.
Re-elected in 1892.
Lost renomination and lost re-election as an Independent Republican.
1893–1903
[[File:HenryRGibson.jpg	100px]]
Henry R. Gibson
(Knoxville)	Republican	March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1905		Elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Re-elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Retired.
1903–1913
[[File:NathanWHale.jpg	100px]]
Nathan W. Hale
(Knoxville)		Republican	nowrap	March 4, 1905 –
March 3, 1909		Elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Lost re-election.
[[File:Richard-wilson-austin.jpg	100px]]
Richard W. Austin
(Knoxville)	Republican	March 4, 1909 –
March 3, 1919		Elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Lost renomination and lost re-election as an Independent.
1913–1923
[[File:JWillTaylor.jpg	100px]]
J. Will Taylor
(LaFollette)	Republican	March 4, 1919 –
November 14, 1939		Elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Died.
1923–1933
1933–1943
Vacant	nowrap	November 14, 1939 –
December 30, 1939
[[File:JohnJenningsTN.jpg	100px]]
John Jennings Jr.
(Knoxville)	Republican	December 30, 1939 –
January 3, 1951		Elected to finish Taylor's term.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Lost renomination.
1943–1953
[[File:Howard Baker, Sr..jpg	100px]]
Howard H. Baker
(Knoxville)	Republican	January 3, 1951 –
January 7, 1964		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.
Died.
1953–1963
1963–1973
Vacant	nowrap	January 7, 1964 –
March 10, 1964
[[File:IreneBaker.jpg	100px]]
Irene Baker
(Knoxville)		Republican	nowrap	March 10, 1964 –
January 3, 1965	Elected to finish her husband's term.
Retired.
[[File:John-duncan-sr.jpg	100px]]
John Duncan Sr.
(Knoxville)	Republican	January 3, 1965 –
June 21, 1988		Elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Died.
1973–1983
1983–1993
Vacant	nowrap	June 21, 1988 –
November 8, 1988
[[File:Rep John J. Duncan Jr Official Portrait (cropped).png	100px]]
Jimmy Duncan
(Knoxville)	Republican	November 8, 1988 –
January 3, 2019		Elected to finish his father's term.
Also elected to the next full term.
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.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Retired.
1993–2003
2003–2013
[[File:TN02 109.gif	300px]]
2013–2023
[[File:Tennessee US Congressional District 2 (since 2013).tif	300px]]
[[File:Rep Tim Burchett, 119th Congress.jpg	100px]]
Tim Burchett
(Knoxville)	Republican	January 3, 2019 –
present		Elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
Re-elected in 2024.
2023–present
[[File:Tennessee's 2nd congressional district (since 2023).svg	300px	center]]

Recent election results

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

Notes

References

Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

References

"Congressional Districts Relationship Files (State-based)". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census Bureau. "My Congressional District".
(April 3, 2025). "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)".
[https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST47/CD118_TN01.pdf https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST47/CD118_TN02.pdf]
"Dra 2020".
(December 3, 2014). "November 4, 2014 General Election Results". Secretary of State of Tennessee.
(December 13, 2016). "November 2016 US House Results by County". Secretary of State of Tennessee.
Johnson, Cheryl L.. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". [[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
(December 2, 2020). "State of Tennessee General Election Results, November 3, 2020, Results By Office". Secretary of State of Tennessee.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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