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 20% 80% 94% 5% 1997 29 71 93 6 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 99	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 5% n/a 89% 100 % 1997 5 13 100 88
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

TENNESSEE 1 : Northeast - Tri-cities

Rolling hills and mountains cover the 1st, which borders Virginia and North Carolina. Thanks to Tennessee Valley Authority power, what were once isolated highland towns and tobacco patches are now scattered small cities with moderate economic growth.

Kingsport, Johnson City and Bristol, known collectively as the Tri-cities, center around plastics and paper manufacturing. East Tennessee State U., a major employer in Johnson City, is a regional medical hub for much of the lower Appalachian region.

Campers, hikers and other visitors seeking the serenity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park must pass through an area jam-packed with large hotels, outlet shopping malls and neon amusement parks. Neighboring Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg bring in millions of dollars each year through a booming tourist industry. To the west, counties such as Hancock and Hawkins have been unable to provide sustainable incomes, and much of the area is severely impoverished.

The 1st votes overwhelmingly Republican in most federal elections, having sent a Republican to the House for more than a century. The rural areas almost always elect Republican state representatives, and the urban areas only sporadically send a Democrat to Nashville. However, mayoral and other local elections are usually nonpartisan.

Major Industry
Manufacturing, tourism, tobacco

Population
541,978 (1990)

Cities
Johnson City, 55,542; Kingsport, 41,335 (1996); Bristol (pt.), 23,275 (1990)

People
53% rural; 14% age 65+ (ranks third of nine in state; top third nationally); 63% married couples, 27% married couples with children; 13% college educated (ranks seventh of nine in state; bottom third nationally); 47% white collar (ranks seventh of nine in state; bottom third nationally), 38% blue collar (ranks second of nine in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
98% white, 2% black, 0% Asian; 0% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$21,952 (ranks eighth of nine in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Dollywood, theme park of country music star Dolly Parton; President Andrew Jackson was a circuit riding judge in the 1st District; Bristol has been recognized as the birthplace of country music.

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