Michigan's 7th congressional district is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 congressional district

Congressional district

A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...

 in Southern Michigan

Southern Michigan

Southern Michigan is a loosely defined geographic area of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Southern Michigan may be referred to as a sub-region or component area to the larger geographic regions of Central Michigan, West Michigan, and Southeast Michigan.Southern Michigan is a...

. It consists of all of Branch

Branch County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 45,787 people, 16,349 households, and 11,575 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 19,822 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile...

, Eaton

Eaton County, Michigan

Eaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,759. The county seat is Charlotte. Eaton County was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under U.S. President Andrew Jackson, making it one of Michigan's Cabinet counties...

, Hillsdale

Hillsdale County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 46,527 people, 17,335 households, and 12,550 families residing in the county. The population density was 78 people per square mile . There were 20,189 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...

, Jackson

Jackson County, Michigan

As of the census of 2000, there were 158,422 people, 58,168 households, and 40,833 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 62,906 housing units at an average density of 89/sq mi...

, and Lenawee

Lenawee County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...

 counties, and includes most of Calhoun

Calhoun County, Michigan

-Interstates:* I-69* I-94* I-194* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Albion.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Battle Creek.* I-94 Business Loop serves the city of Marshall.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-37* M-60* M-66* M-78* M-89* M-96* M-99...

 and a large portion of western and northern Washtenaw

Washtenaw County, Michigan

Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...

 counties.

In the November 2, 2010 midterm elections

United States House of Representatives elections, 2010

The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...

, Republican Tim Walberg

Tim Walberg

Timothy Lee "Tim" Walberg is the current U.S. Representative for , and was also the former Congressman for the district from 2007 to 2009.-Early life, education, and religious career:...

 defeated Mark Schauer

Mark Schauer

Mark Schauer is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party.He was previously a member of the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Minority Leader, and the Michigan House of Representatives....

, the district's previous congressman.

Major cities

• Adrian
  Adrian, Michigan
  As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
  
  
• Albion
  Albion, Michigan
  Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
  
  
• Battle Creek
  Battle Creek, Michigan
  Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
  
  
• Charlotte
  Charlotte, Michigan
  Charlotte is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,074. It is the county seat of Eaton County....
  
  
• Coldwater
  Coldwater, Michigan
  Coldwater is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,945. It is the county seat of Branch County....
  
  
• Hillsdale
  Hillsdale, Michigan
  Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
  
  
• Jackson
  Jackson, Michigan
  Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
  
  
• Lansing
  Lansing, Michigan
  Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
  
   (The portion in Eaton County)
• Marshall
  Marshall, Michigan
  Marshall is a city located in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,459. It is the county seat of Calhoun County...
  
  
• Tecumseh
  Tecumseh, Michigan
  Tecumseh is a small city in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated where M-50 crosses the River Raisin, a few miles east of M-52. Tecumseh is about SW of Detroit, south of Ann Arbor and north of Toledo, OH....
  
  
• Saline
  Saline, Michigan
  Saline is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,810.The city is popular for its annual Celtic Festival, which attracts people from all over the United States and its sister cities Brecon, Wales and Lindenberg, Germany...
  
  

Early history

The 7th Congressional district was formed in 1872 covering the Thumb of Michigan. It had Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, Lapeer, St. Clair and Macomb Counties. In 1882 Tuscola County was removed from the district but everything else remained the same. In 1892 Grosse Point and Hamtramck Townships, the latter one today mainly within the city boundaries of Detroit were moved into the 7th District.

In 1912 Tuscola county was put back in the 7th district, but it may have lost its Wayne County areas. It was definitely deprived of these areas by 1932.

In 1964 the 7th district experienced its most drastic redistricting yet. Only Lapeer County was retained from the old district while Genesee County was added. In 1972 the district was redrawn again, losing Lapeer County as well as a few outlying parts of Genesee County. In 1982 most of Lapeer county was put back in the 7th district. The northern tier of townships in Genesee County were moved to the 8th district. Burns Township in Shiawasee County and all the northern tier of townships in Oakland County with the exception of Brandon Township were also put in the district.

After 1992 this old 7th district constituted a large part of the new 9th district.

Predecessors to the 1992 district

The current 7th has no connection with the pre-1992 seventh congressional district. If populations and not just areas are considered, it is primarily an heir of the previous 3rd district.

All of Eaton and Calhoun Counties were preserved from the 3rd to the 7th district. Half of the area of Barry County that had been in the old 3rd was retained. From the old 4th was drawn most of Branch County. The rest of Branch County and Hillsdale County, the south-western portion of Washtenaw County and western Lenawee County and most of Jackson County were taken from the old 2nd district. Even though most of the area of the old second was put in the new 7th, most of its population was moved into the 13th, From Ann Arbor to Plymouth, Livonia and Northville. The portion of Lenawee County that had been in the 16th was absorbed, and a small part of the Washtenaw County area of the 15th district and the part of the old 6th that had been in Jackson County. Thus the new 7th district incorporated areas from six old districts.

The 2002 redistricting is best seen as a shift from the 3rd district to the 2nd district legacy. With the loss of its quadrant in Barry County and a small section of Calhoun County the district lost affinity to the 3rd of yore. It took back the portion of Washtenaw County that had been lost to the 8th district, and shed the part of Washtenaw County that had come from the old 15th district. Although none of Wayne County was included in the new district, it did have Salem Township

Salem Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan

Salem Township is a general law township of Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located northeast of Ann Arbor. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 5,562.The unincorporated community of Salem is located within the township....

 which not only borders Wayne County but is largely in a Wayne County headquartered school district.

List of representatives

Representative	Party	Years	Congress	Notes
District created		March 4, 1873
Omar D. Conger Omar D. Conger Omar Dwight Conger was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the U.S. state of Michigan.Conger was born in Cooperstown, New York and moved with his father, the Rev. E. Conger, to Huron County, Ohio in 1824...	Republican	March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1881	43rd-46th	Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...  from the , Resigned March 3, 1881 to become US Senator
Vacant		March 4, 1881 – April 5, 1881	47th 47th United States Congress The Forty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1881 to March 4, 1883, during the administration...
John Tyler Rich John Tyler Rich John Tyler Rich was a U.S. Representative from and the 23rd Governor of the US state of Michigan.-Early Life in Pennsylvania, Vermont and Michigan:...	Republican	April 5, 1881 - March 3, 1883	47th
Ezra C. Carleton Ezra C. Carleton Ezra Child Carleton was a U.S. Representative from the 7th district of Michigan.Carleton was born in St. Clair, Michigan where he attended the common schools and graduated from the Port Huron High School in 1859...	Democratic	March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1887	48th-49th
Justin Rice Whiting Justin Rice Whiting Justin Rice Whiting was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Whiting was born in Bath, New York, and moved to Michigan in 1849 with his parents, who settled in St. Clair, Michigan. He attended the public schools and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor from 1863 to 1865. He worked as a...	Democratic	March 4, 1887 - March 3, 1895	50th-53rd
Horace G. Snover Horace G. Snover Horace Greeley Snover was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan.Snover was born in Romeo, Michigan, where he attended the public schools and the Dickenson Institute. He graduated from the academic department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1869 and from the law...	Republican	March 4, 1895 - March 3, 1899	54th-55th
Edgar Weeks Edgar Weeks Edgar Weeks was a military officer, judge and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Biography:Weeks was born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, where he attended the public schools and learned the printing trade...	Republican	March 4, 1899 - March 3, 1903	56th-57th
Henry McMorran Henry McMorran Henry Gordon McMorran was an American Republican politician and businessman.He served five terms in the U.S. Congress as a U.S...	Republican	March 4, 1903 - March 3, 1913	58th-62nd
Louis C. Cramton Louis C. Cramton Louis Convers Cramton was a politician and jurist from the U.S. state of Michigan.Cramton was born in Hadley Township, Michigan and attended the common schools of Lapeer County. He graduated from Lapeer High School in 1893 and from the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in...	Republican	March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1931	63rd-71st
Jesse P. Wolcott Jesse P. Wolcott Jesse Paine Wolcott was a politician and soldier from the U.S. state of Michigan.Wolcott was born to William Bradford Wolcott and Lillie Betsy Wolcott in Gardner, Massachusetts and attended the common and high schools there...	Republican	March 4, 1931 - January 3, 1957	72nd-84th
Robert J. McIntosh Robert J. McIntosh Robert John McIntosh was a politician and pilot from the U.S. state of Michigan.McIntosh was born in Port Huron, Michigan and graduated from Port Huron High School in 1940. He attended Michigan State University, East Lansing from 1940 to 1944. He received a J.D...	Republican	January 3, 1957 - January 3, 1959	85th
James G. O'Hara James G. O'Hara James Grant O'Hara was a soldier and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, serving as U.S. Representative from 1959 to 1977.-Early life:...	Democratic	January 3, 1959 - January 3, 1965	86th-88th	Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...  to the
John C. Mackie John C. Mackie John C. Mackie was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Mackie was born in Toronto and immigrated to the United States from Canada in 1924 with his parents, who settled in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Southeastern High School in Detroit in 1938 and attended Lawrence Institute of...	Democratic	January 3, 1965 - January 3, 1967	89th
Donald W. Riegle, Jr. Donald W. Riegle, Jr. Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. is an American politician from Michigan, who served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator.-Early life:...	Republican	January 3, 1967 - February 27, 1973	90th-93rd	Changed political affiliation
Donald W. Riegle, Jr. Donald W. Riegle, Jr. Donald Wayne Riegle Jr. is an American politician from Michigan, who served for five terms as a Representative and for three terms as a Senator.-Early life:...	Democratic	February 27, 1973 - December 30, 1976	93rd - 94th	Resigned after being appointed to the US Senate having been elected
Vacant		December 30, 1976 – January 3, 1977	94th 94th United States Congress The Ninety-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1977, during the administration...
Dale E. Kildee Dale E. Kildee Dale Edward Kildee is the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 5th congressional district, serving since 1977. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Flint, Saginaw and Bay City...	Democratic	January 3, 1977 - January 3, 1993	95th-102nd	Redistricted Redistricting Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...  to the
Nick Smith Nick Smith (U.S. politician) Nick H. Smith is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 until 2005, representing from the 7th District of Michigan.-Life and career:...	Republican	January 3, 1993 - January 3, 2005	103rd-108th
Joe Schwarz Joe Schwarz John J. H. "Joe" Schwarz, M.D. , an independent politician from Michigan, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2004 as a moderate Republican...	Republican	January 3, 2005 - January 3, 2007	109th
Tim Walberg Tim Walberg Timothy Lee "Tim" Walberg is the current U.S. Representative for , and was also the former Congressman for the district from 2007 to 2009.-Early life, education, and religious career:...	Republican	January 3, 2007 - January 3, 2009	110th
Mark Schauer Mark Schauer Mark Schauer is the former U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party.He was previously a member of the Michigan Senate, where he served as the Minority Leader, and the Michigan House of Representatives....	Democratic	January 3, 2009–January 3, 2011	111th
Tim Walberg Tim Walberg Timothy Lee "Tim" Walberg is the current U.S. Representative for , and was also the former Congressman for the district from 2007 to 2009.-Early life, education, and religious career:...	Republican	January 3, 2011 - Present	112th	Incumbent Incumbent The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...