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 27% 73% 89% 11% 1997 32 68 91 9 1996 42 58 89 11 1995 20 80 95 4 1994 53 47 82 17 1993 45 51 78 11 1992 76 24 67 32 1991 75 25 69 30 1990 68 32 63 35 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 99 1997 99 1996 99 1995 99 1994 99 1993 89 1992 99 1991 99 1990 99	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 10% n/a 100% 84 % 1997 0 13 100 76 1996 5 9 100 90 1995 0 0 96 76 1994 0 11 75 95 1993 5 17 91 87 1992 20 42 88 76 1991 0 17 90 85 1990 6 8 79 71
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

NEW MEXICO 2 : South - Little Texas; Las Cruces; Roswell

Covering the southern half of New Mexico, the 2nd earned the dubious distinction of having witnessed the first atomic bomb explosion in 1945. More than 50 years later, in 1999, the district opened the first permanent storage facility for radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production and defense-related research. Installed in deep salt beds near Carlsbad, it will house waste from 10 temporary sites throughout the nation.

Towns in the 2nd have built a stable economy on traditional Western industries. The Mexican highlands, along the Arizona border, are blanketed with copper and lead mines. In the southeastern corner of the state, "Little Texas," settled by Texans in the early 20th century, produces oil and gas, as well as cattle and sheep. This region also is home to one of the most productive salt mines in the nation. While these industries are the backbone of the 2nd's economy, high-tech firms and dairy farming are on the rise.

Although the 2nd's economy has remained stable, its voting habits have not. Beginning in the 1970s, ranchers and conservative Democrats steered away from a long Democratic tradition. Locally, the district has remained true to its roots, but is now more competitive at the national level.

Major Industry
Agriculture, mining, oil and gas production

Military Bases
Hollman Air Force Base, 4,013 military, 865 civilian (1998); White Sands Missile Range, 534 military, 3,180 civilian (1997)

Population
504,767 (1990)

Cities
Las Cruces, 74,779; Roswell, 44,260; Carlsbad, 24,952 (1996)

People
49% suburban; 12% age 65+ (ranks first of three in state; middle third nationally); 61% married couples, 31% married couples with children; 15% college educated (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally); 51% white collar (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally), 28% blue collar (ranks first of three in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
84% white, 2% black, 1% Asian; 42% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$21,456 (ranks third of three in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
White Sands National Monument, world's largest gypsum dune field; Alleged UFO crash outside Roswell in 1947; Billy the Kid stood trial in Mesilla but escaped before being convicted; Very Large Array, grouping of huge telescope dishes that peer deep into space, near Socorro.

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