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 79% 20% 83% 17% 1997 83 17 83 16 S=Support; O=Oppose
Voting Participation Year % 1998 98 1997 97	Interest Groups Year ADA AFL-CIO CCUS ACU 1998 100% n/a 39% 0 % 1997 80 88 50 20
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

WASHINGTON 9 : Puget Sound - Tacoma

As many Seattle residents headed to the suburbs in the 1980s, the booming area south of the city was carved into a new congressional district, the 9th. The district consists mostly of sprawling suburban communities. Even though the southern half of the district, central Pierce County, makes up half the geographic area, it houses only one-tenth of the population.

The 9th is a Boeing district. The company employs thousands of workers who reside in the region, forming the backbone of a strong local economy. The Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s caused manufacturing cutbacks in the district, including layoffs at Boeing. It's unclear what effect it will have on the long-term health of the area. The corridor along Interstate 5 has become a magnet for high-tech companies that provide high-paying jobs for the well-educated residents. A large military presence also provides a consistent source of economic strength.

Politically, the 9th is as evenly split a district as they come; a 1992 poll found Democrats and Republicans within one percentage point of each other. But 41 percent of those voters considered themselves independents. The blue-collar workers from Boeing form a solid Democratic base, while the well-to-do and fiscally conservative suburbanites tend to vote Republican. Political observers predict no incumbent will rest easy in this district.

Major Industry
Timber, aviation manufacturing, computer software

Military Bases
Fort Lewis (Army), 17,700 military, 3,318 civilian (1998); McChord Air Force Base, 3,748 military, 1,970 civilian (1998)

Population
540,519 (1990)

Cities
Federal Way, 68,088 (1996); Tacoma (pt.), 30,265; Burien (pt.), 23,788 (1990)

People
91% urban; 9% age 65+ (ranks eighth of nine in state; bottom third nationally); 57% married couples, 27% married couples with children; 18% college educated (ranks fifth of nine in state; middle third nationally); 58% white collar (ranks fourth of nine in state; middle third nationally), 28% blue collar (ranks third of nine in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Race
86% white, 5% black, 6% Asian; 4% Hispanic origin (1990)

Median Household Income
$32,194 (ranks third of nine in state; middle third nationally) (1990)

Unusual Features
Before becoming commander of the American forces in the Persian Gulf, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was commander of Fort Lewis.

© 2002 The Washington Post Company