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 21% 79% 91% 8% 1997 24 72 94 4 1996 32 67 91 7 1995 15 80 90 4 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 99 1997 97 1996 98 1995 93	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 10% n/a 94% 84 % 1997 0 0 89 100 1996 0 0 100 100 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

OKLAHOMA 4 : Southwest; part of Oklahoma City

Home to the state's largest university and several military bases, the 4th occupies a portion of the southwest corner of the state from Oklahoma City through Lawton to the Texas border. Its residents, mostly conservative on social and fiscal issues, live in college towns like Norman and more rural areas like Cotton and Jefferson counties.

The 4th's once-booming oil economy suffered from the low prices of the 1990s, and a concurrent drought helped decimate the southwest. Two of the smaller counties in the 4th lost population in the early 1990s. But, overall, population remained steady at the close of the decade, as the military maintained its ubiquitous presence. With more than 27,000 personnel, the military bases inject the region with plenty of retail dollars. Still, even after the drought, agriculture remains an essential economic cog. Soybeans, cotton, wheat and peanuts fill many of the district's family farms.

The 4th has epitomized the Oklahoman trend toward voting for Republicans in national elections. Although once confined to presidential elections, district votes for the GOP have swung behind congressional candidates and trickled down to some state legislators. The Christian Coalition and other groups have attracted socially conservative voters who grew up voting for Democrats.

Major Industry
Military, higher education, oil production

Military Bases
Tinker Air Force Base, 7,767 military, 13,474 civilian (1998); Fort Sill (Army), 16,267 military, 5,983 civilian (1998); Altus Air Force Base, 3,341 military, 929 civilian (1997)

Population
524,407 (1990)

Cities
Norman, 90,228; Lawton, 82,582 (1996); Oklahoma City (pt.), 45,448 (1990)

People
56% urban; 11% age 65+ (ranks sixth of six in state; bottom third nationally); 62% married couples, 31% married couples with children; 19% college educated (ranks third of six in state; middle third nationally); 57% white collar (ranks third of six in state; middle third nationally), 26% blue collar (ranks fourth of six in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
84% white, 7% black, 2% Asian, 5% American Indian; 4% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$25,391 (ranks third of six in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Apache warrior Geronimo was imprisoned at Ft. Sill Military Reservation near Lawton.

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