CQ Risk Rating: Safe Republican 
| GENERAL ELECTION: NOVEMBER 7, 2000 |
|
| Kevin Brady (R) | 233,848 | 92% |
| Gil Guillory (LIBERT) | 21,368 | 8% |
| PRIMARY ELECTION: MARCH 14, 2000 |
|
| | Votes | Percentage | | Republican |
| Kevin Brady | 61,252 | 100% |
Source: Congressional Quarterly. To suggest updates and corrections: politics.feedback@cq.com
Major Industry | Population | Cities | People | Race | Median Household Income | Unusual Features
TEXAS 8
:
Northern Houston suburbs; College Station
A thin strip of land connects the two bulbous portions of the 8th -
suburban areas north of Houston and land surrounding the cities of Bryan and
College Station. Comfortably Republican, the district resembles a lopsided
barbell and contains not only the vast oil fields that characterize much of
Texas, but also dairy farms and Texas A&M U., the state's oldest public
institution of higher education.
Unlike the more liberal U. of Texas, Texas A&M has a conservative
military and agricultural tradition that complements many of the 8th's
values - free market economics and defense hawkishness. As a result, voters
have given Republicans some of their largest margins in the state at every
level. Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole garnered two-thirds of the
vote in 1996, much more than the 49 percent he gathered statewide.
The two land masses of the 8th differ widely in economic character. At
the eastern end, the more populous of the barbell's two ends, the northern
Houston suburbs have planned communities that house executives from the
Houston Advanced Research Center and the region's many medical facilities.
The area nearer to College Station, however, depends more on farming. While
benefiting from Houston's oil and gas industries, the steadying influence of
Texas A&M and the dairy industry help keep the district as a whole healthy.
Major Industry
Health care, agriculture, education
Population
565,315 (1990)
Cities
College Station, 58,757 (1996); Kingwood (unincorporated), 37,350; Bryan
(pt.), 35,999 (1990)
People
52% urban; 7% age 65+ (ranks 24 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally);
64% married couples, 35% married couples with children; 29% college educated
(ranks seventh of 30 in state; top third nationally); 68% white collar
(ranks sixth of 30 in state; top third nationally), 20% blue collar (ranks
23 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)
Race
90% white, 5% black, 2% Asian; 7% Hispanic origin (1990)
Median Household Income
$40,160 (ranks fifth of 30 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)
Unusual Features
George Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M; Town of Chappell Hill was the
first in Texas planned by a woman.
Source: Congressional Quarterly (Updated April 1999)
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District 8
