CQ Voting Studies are an annual analysis of a member's support or opposition to a given position. Interest Group Ratings are based on rankings from groups chosen to represent liberal, conservative, business and labor viewpoints.Voting Participation scores are based on the number of times a member voted "yea" or "nay" on roll call votes (not including quorum calls in the House). CQ Vote Studies Year Presidential Support Party Unity   S* O* S O 1998 23% 72% 89% 6% 1997 27 72 90 7 1996 37 59 91 5 1995 20 78 93 4 1994 38 55 82 11 1993 28 69 92 5 1992 82 16 83 12 1991 65 25 72 15 1990 63 32 73 20 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 95 1997 97 1996 97 1995 97 1994 94 1993 96 1992 96 1991 88 1990 94	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 0% n/a 100% 96 % 1997 5 14 90 88 1996 0 0 100 100 1995 5 0 100 88 1994 5 13 92 100 1993 0 0 90 96 1992 5 27 75 96 1991 0 17 90 100 1990 6 17 92 87
Note on Interest Groups: ADA=Americans for Democratic Action; AFL-CIO=American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations; CCUS=Chamber of Commerce of the United States; ACU=American Conservative Union

ALABAMA 1 : Southwest - Mobile

Crop fields and pine forests merge with Alabama's strip of Gulf of Mexico coastline to form the 1st. Although Mobile accounts for most of the district's income and population, a symbiotic relationship between the industrial and rural areas keeps the district's economy stable.

Forestry feeds the district's timber mills and shipping companies, despite financial ruin in Southeast Asia in the mid- to late-1990s that forced cutbacks in the local timber industry. Mobile's State Docks, one of the biggest commercial shipping centers in the nation, support a shipbuilding industry that has stagnated in recent years. But ship repair and other services have kept the ports busy. The overall contraction of timber and ship-related industries has forced the district to diversify. Tourism, based on the Gulf Shores, has been the most immediate remedy. Outside Mobile, manufacturing spin-offs have emerged. Textile plants and retail outlets also provide much-needed employment in the rural areas.

While traditionally Republican, the 1st's voters do not always follow the party line. Rural counties tend to favor Democratic candidates, while Mobile residents lean slightly Republican. Local elections can become battles over sensitive issues such as agricultural subsidies and international trade. Republicans have held the congressional seat since 1964, and the district overwhelmingly favored GOP presidential candidates in 1992 and '96. But the 1st recently helped elect a Democratic governor and attorney general.

Major Industry
Commercial shipping, timber, textiles

Population
577,375 (1990)

Cities
Mobile, 202,581; Prichard, 32,887 (1997); Tillman's Corner (unincorporated), 17,988 (1990)

People
52% urban; 13% age 65+ (ranks fifth of seven in state; middle third nationally); 57% married couples, 27% married couples with children; 15% college educated (ranks fourth of seven in state; bottom third nationally); 53% white collar (ranks fourth of seven in state; middle third nationally), 32% blue collar (ranks fourth of seven in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
70% white, 29% black, 1% Asian; 1% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$22,881 (ranks fourth of seven in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Annual National Shrimp Festival at Gulf Shores draws more than 200,000 visitors in October; Monroeville was home of novelists Truman Capote and Harper Lee.

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