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 52% 46% 56% 41% 1997 61 35 67 32 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 97 1997 98	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 65% n/a 72% 48 % 1997 50 75 80 48
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

TEXAS 2 : East - Lufkin; Orange

A sprawling mass of east Texas territory, the hardscrabble 2nd borders Louisiana to the east and reaches west to near Bryan. Its southern border is marked by the oil city of Beaumont and suburbs northeast of Houston. A mostly rural district, the 2nd's largest city is Lufkin, located in the northern end of the district and surrounded by vast timber forests.

The 2nd's economy has been split between the eastern and southern portions, which rely on the chemical and shipping industries based in Orange and nearby Beaumont and Port Arthur, and the northern and western sections, where timber still reigns. Government jobs and contracts became increasingly important to the region as its industrial and manufacturing economies slipped somewhat during the late 1980s and early '90s. Slow population growth and a high percentage of blue-collar workers have made it difficult to attract higher-paying service jobs.

In many ways, the 2nd's political situation hasn't changed much since populist Democrat Charles Wilson began his 24 years in Congress in 1973. Although religious conservatives have garnered a base of support, the region's distance from the GOP-solid suburbs of Houston and Dallas makes it an important swing area for Democrats, provided they aren't too liberal. After Wilson retired in 1996, a conservative Democrat won the seat, although he lost the counties closest to Houston.

Major Industry
Timber, petrochemicals, shipping

Population
565,906 (1990)

Cities
Lufkin, 33,089; Huntsville, 29,060; Orange, 18,953 (1996)

People
61% rural; 14% age 65+ (ranks fourth of 30 in state; top third nationally); 61% married couples, 28% married couples with children; 10% college educated (ranks 28 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally); 46% white collar (ranks 29 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally), 34% blue collar (ranks second of 30 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
79% white, 17% black, 0% Asian; 5% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$21,216 (ranks 27 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Huntsville's favorite son is Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas; Houston died on his way to visit the "medicinal baths" of Sour Lake, a town north of Beaumont that got its name when crude oil seeped into the waters of a nearby lake.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company