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 16% 80% 91% 6% 1997 19 77 87 4 1996 38 62 93 7 1995 17 83 96 3 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 95 1997 92 1996 99 1995 99	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 0% n/a 89% 92 % 1997 0 0 67 92 1996 5 9 100 100 1995 0 0 100 96
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

FLORIDA 15 : Central - Brevard, Osceola and Indian River counties; Palm Bay

The 15th is dominated by Florida's Space Coast, home to space shuttle launches and numerous NASA employees and retirees. Most of the population lives along the Atlantic Coast between Titusville and Vero Beach, although the 15th also contains most of inland Osceola County, except Kissimmee, its largest city. A sliver of northeast Polk County and most of Indian River County round out the 15th.

Republicans have a solid voter registration advantage in the 15th. The coastal areas, especially upscale Merritt Island and Vero Beach, hold some of the strongest GOP contingents in the state. Still, the surest way to be elected is to promote the space industry, something members of both parties have done.

Cape Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center and Patrick Air Force Base are the economic engines for the district and help to insulate it from downturns. But when NASA spending falls, the impact can be dramatic. A growing high-tech industry has set up around the space operations and attracts engineers to Brevard County. The area's other attraction is its waterfront. Most cities in 15th have seen steady growth and a Disney vacation complex near Vero Beach is helping to change that sleepy town into a high-profile resort.

Major Industry
Aerospace, tourism, agriculture

Military Bases
Patrick Air Force Base, 3,185 military, 1,331 civilian (1997)

Population
562,542 (1990)

Cities
Palm Bay, 74,982; Melbourne, 67,631; Titusville, 41,543 (1997)

People
76% urban; 19% age 65+ (ranks ninth of 23 in state; top third nationally); 61% married couples, 22% married couples with children; 19% college educated (ranks ninth of 23 in state; middle third nationally); 59% white collar (ranks 13 of 23 in state; middle third nationally), 24% blue collar (ranks eighth of 23 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
90% white, 8% black, 1% Asian; 3% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$29,755 (ranks eighth of 23 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has more endangered species than any other in the nation; More than 50 companies have searched for silver and gold lost when the Spanish Plate Fleet sank off Sebastian Inlet in 1715.

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