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 78% 15% 89% 4% 1997 81 19 94 5 1996 84 16 92 7 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 92 1997 98 1996 98	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 95% n/a 31% 4 % 1997 90 100 30 12 1996 83 88 20 0
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

CALIFORNIA 37 : Southern Los Angeles County; Compton; Carson

The 37th includes some of the poorest and most Democratic communities in Los Angeles and the state. Hispanics are the dominant minority group, and minorities represent more than 80 percent of the population. Most of the district's residents are concentrated in the lower- and middle-class cities of Compton, Carson and Lynwood just south of Los Angeles.

The district's troubled economy, already hurt by California's recession, suffered in the 1992 riots when fires ravaged parts of Compton and Lynwood. Overall, crime is down, but the district still has many of the violent crime and gang problems found throughout the Los Angeles area.

While the 37th has a significant industrial base, it has suffered from defense cuts and has been trying to retrain aerospace workers who lost their jobs when several military installations closed in the neighboring 38th District. The multibillion-dollar Alameda Corridor project, which will create a rail link between Long Beach docks and distribution areas in Los Angeles, is expected to help the area's struggling economy.

Major Industry
Service, manufacturing, oil

Population
572,191 (1990)

Cities
Compton 95,500; Carson 90,600; Lynwood 67,500 (1998, est.)

People
100% urban; 7% age 65+ (ranks 49 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally); 51% married couples, 30% married couples with children; 9% college educated (ranks 50 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally); 44% white collar (ranks 50 of 52 in state; bottom third nationally), 40% blue collar (ranks second of 52 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
26% white, 34% black, 11% Asian; 44% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$27,127 (ranks 47 of 52 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Actor and director Forest Whitaker and recording artist and actress Brandy Norwood, or "Moesha," both longtime residents of Carson; Tennis pro Venus Williams born in Lynwood; Home base for the Goodyear Blimp.

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