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 35% 63% 73% 27% 1997 36 61 85 13 1996 47 52 79 21 1995 25 74 89 10 1994 69 29 73 26 1993 49 51 78 20 1992 64 35 65 33 1991 70 28 67 32 1990 44 54 54 41 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 98 1996 99 1995 97 1994 98 1993 98 1992 98 1991 98 1990 96	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 30% n/a 89% 44 % 1997 35 38 80 75 1996 20 27 81 68 1995 10 25 96 76 1994 20 44 91 67 1993 35 67 64 67 1992 25 75 75 72 1991 25 50 70 63 1990 44 33 62 58
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 25 : Central - Syracuse

Located in the center of the state, Syracuse is the biggest city and economic hub of the 25th, which stretches from Lake Ontario to part of Broome County in the south. Small towns and farms fill out the area outside of Syracuse in this moderately conservative district.

Previously strong Republican territory, the 25th's GOP organization once held the loyalties of Irish, Italian, Polish and Jewish constituencies in and around Syracuse. The electorate's GOP leanings were reinforced by the typical upstate antipathy toward Democratic New York City. But the Republican machine has faded, and economic stagnation in the 1990s and the decline of the city's once-thriving industrial sector have helped the Democratic Party gain some ground.

Syracuse has never fully recovered from the departure of some of its big manufacturing plants in the 1980s and '90s, although the city has held on to some blue-collar jobs by encouraging light manufacturing firms. Other growth comes from service-related work in the hospitals and universities. Outside of Syracuse, dairy farming supports the small towns.

While the 25th's House seat is GOP territory, bolstered by the Republican voting base in Onondaga County, some Democratic-leaning pockets exist. In Syracuse, minorities and blue-collar workers contribute to the Democratic vote. So do upscale De Witt, which includes a sizable Jewish population, and lower-income areas in the city of Cortland.

Major Industry
Agriculture, service, manufacturing

Population
580,233 (1990)

Cities
Syracuse, 155,865 (1996); Clay, 60,855; Salina, 35,871 (1990)

People
67% urban; 13% age 65+ (ranks 18 of 31 in state; middle third nationally); 54% married couples, 25% married couples with children; 23% college educated (ranks 12 of 31 in state; top third nationally); 63% white collar (ranks 15 of 31 in state; top third nationally), 23% blue collar (ranks 12 of 31 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Race
91% white, 7% black, 1% Asian; 1% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$31,080 (ranks 18 of 31 in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
First synthetic penicillin made in 1959 by Bristol Laboratories in Syracuse; The Brannock Device - used to measure feet for shoe size - invented by Syracusan Charles F. Brannock.

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