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 84% 10% 85% 5% 1997 69 28 84 7 1996 82 14 89 7 1995 82 14 92 5 1994 64 18 77 2 1993 89 11 90 3 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 91 1997 90 1996 94 1995 98 1994 78 1993 93	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 80% n/a 22% 5 % 1997 80 100 20 19 1996 95 100 20 0 1995 95 100 8 4 1994 80 88 36 7 1993 90 92 18 4
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 23 : Southeast - Parts of St. Lucie, Martin, Broward and Palm Beach counties

One of two majority black districts in the state, the heavily Democratic 23rd stretches from Fort Pierce to the eastern shores of Lake Okeechobee and then through neighborhoods between the Intracoastal Waterway and Interstate 95. Half of the district's residents live in Broward County and a small portion live in Dade County's northern tip.

Most of the urban areas of the 23rd - Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach and Deerfield Beach - are black neighborhoods, attracting local government employees and other middle-class professionals. Boca Raton, Lauderdale Lakes and Okeechobee have more white residents than the other communities.

Citrus and sugar cane growers work the large but sparsely populated rural portions of the district. Boating and marine companies and other midsize businesses mix with homes along U.S. Highway 1 in the southern section of the district. Despite the 23rd's Pratt & Whitney jet engine plant, the district's lack of a major employment sector and the vulnerability of citrus crops to bad weather make it one of the poorest districts in the state.

Voters routinely give Democratic candidates wide margins of victory over GOP opponents, making the Democratic primary the most important race. In close primaries, election results often have split along racial lines.

Major Industry
Agriculture, local government, marine & boating

Population
563,645 (1990)

Cities
Fort Lauderdale (pt.), 59,553; West Palm Beach (pt.), 35,608; Lauderhill (pt.), 29,098 (1990)

People
89% urban; 13% age 65+ (ranks 16 of 23 in state; middle third nationally); 43% married couples, 19% married couples with children; 11% college educated (ranks 21 of 23 in state; bottom third nationally); 46% white collar (ranks 23 of 23 in state; bottom third nationally), 28% blue collar (ranks third of 23 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
45% white, 52% black, 1% Asian; 9% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$23,039 (ranks 19 of 23 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Pompano Beach home to the Goodyear blimp; Lauderdale Lakes has 22 churches within its four square miles.

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