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 49% 51% 49% 50% 1997 52 47 52 46 1996 52 46 49 50 1995 43 56 42 57 1994 53 47 41 58 1993 60 39 52 48 1992 68 29 52 47 1991 66 33 48 49 1990 56 44 52 47 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 99 1997 98 1996 99 1995 99 1994 99 1993 99 1992 97 1991 97 1990 99	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 40% n/a 76% 48 % 1997 40 29 90 58 1996 50 36 63 65 1995 35 67 63 44 1994 5 0 100 90 1993 10 17 73 78 1992 30 25 57 72 1991 5 17 90 70 1990 22 25 71 67
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 17 : West Central - Abilene

Starting west of Fort Worth, the conservative 17th takes in the central Texas plains and heads through Abilene until reaching Midland in western Texas. The culture of the old West lingers in this part of the Lone Star State with ranches, cotton and cowboys.

When the 1980s oil glut hit home in Texas, refineries covered the 17th's prairie. Today, there are only a fraction of the rigs that once blanketed the area, and some of those oil-producing towns have disappeared. Abilene, the district's largest city, has made an effort to revitalize its downtown. Three church-sponsored colleges also nurture a powerful evangelical community.

Cattle and cotton are still big in the 17th, but low cattle prices and droughts have jeopardized both. Adding a measure of stability to the economy, however, are Air Force bases near Abilene and in the neighboring 21st District. The prison industry has also done well, with facilities in Abilene, Snyder and Big Spring.

The 17th is represented by a conservative Democrat. While the district is socially conservative, its economic hardships have sent it in search of government assistance in agriculture. At the local level, Republicans tend to be favored, but in some areas north and west of Abilene, conservative Democrats do well.

Major Industry
Cattle, cotton, defense, oil

Military Bases
Dyess Air Force Base, 5,000 military, 450 civilian (1998)

Population
566,255 (1990)

Cities
Abilene, 108,476 (1996); San Angelo (pt.), 48,529 (1990); Big Spring, 23,248 (1996)

People
38% rural, 34% suburban; 16% age 65+ (ranks second of 30 in state; top third nationally); 62% married couples, 29% married couples with children; 13% college educated (ranks 25 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally); 48% white collar (ranks 25 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally), 30% blue collar (ranks eighth of 30 in state; top third nationally) (1990)

Race
86% white, 4% black, 1% Asian; 17% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$21,532 (ranks 26 of 30 in state; bottom third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Abilene named after the famous cattle shipping center in Abilene, Kan.; First Hilton Hotel in Cisco.

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