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% 77% 90% 9% 1997 13 88 100 0 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 100	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 0% n/a 100% 96 % 1997 n/a n/a n/a n/a
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 YORK 13 : Staten Island; part of southwest Brooklyn

Although Democrats hold an edge in voter registration, Staten Island's large retired population and white, upper-middle-class suburban residents are more amenable to Republicans than any of New York City's other districts. The 13th's predominantly Italian-American and Catholic conservatives - on both sides of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge that connects Staten Island and Brooklyn - have elected a Republican representative since 1980.

Staten Island was so disenchanted with the city's Democratic leadership that in 1993 residents overwhelmingly approved a referendum to secede from the city. Enactment of the referendum was blocked by the state legislature, but grumbling and a court challenge would likely have continued if a newly elected Republican mayor and governor had not quelled concerns of Islanders. Chief among Staten Island's beefs had been the presence of the Fresh Kills landfill, a major dumping ground for the city. With the change in city leadership, the dump has been scheduled to be closed, charges for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and Staten Island Ferry have been reduced and talk of secession has quieted.

The largely Italian western Brooklyn portion of the 12th mirrors the much more populous Staten Island but earned unfavorable attention in 1989 when racial tension erupted after the murder of a black youth in Bensonhurst.

Major Industry
Health care, retail, communications

Military Bases
Fort Hamilton (Army), 342 military, 503 civilian (1998)

Population
579,521 (1990)

Cities
New York (pt.), 579,521 (1990)

People
100% urban; 14% age 65+ (ranks 14 of 31 in state; top third nationally); 57% married couples, 26% married couples with children; 19% college educated (ranks 17 of 31 in state; middle third nationally); 66% white collar (ranks 11 of 31 in state; top third nationally), 20% blue collar (ranks 18 of 31 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Race
Non-Hispanic: 82% white, 5% black, 5% Asian; 7% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$38,437 (ranks 10 of 31 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Bay Ridge was the setting for the 1977 disco movie, "Saturday Night Fever"; Todt Hill, the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company