CQ Politics

In this lush portion of East Texas, tree-covered hills and cypress swamps share space with what remains of the once-prominent oil centers in Longview and Tyler. Slow population growth and miles of forests and farmland are hallmarks of the 1st, which runs roughly 140 miles along the Louisiana border and takes in the Toledo Bend Reservoir. The district shares more traits with its traditionally laid-back Cajun neighbors than with the fast-paced urban life of nearby Dallas and its suburbs.

Timber is still central to the economy of the southern part of the 1st, complemented by poultry, dairy and beef cattle operations. But timber has faced stiff competition from companies in China and South America, where wage and energy costs are lower. Further, in 2005 Hurricane Rita caused severe wind damage to the local timber crop, while manufacturing and oil sustained only minor interruptions. Heavy rains in parts of the district, and power loss throughout most counties, disrupted residents’ ability to occupy their homes and operate businesses.

In Smith County, the 1st’s western edge, Tyler’s economy is growing rapidly. It has healthy timber, natural gas and health care industries, with some hospital systems based in the city. Tyler and Longview, in neighboring Gregg County, have healthy manufacturing sectors, with Eastman Chemical, Carrier and Trane facilities here, and SYSCO building a distribution center scheduled to begin operations in mid-2008.

Residents tend to be conservative, even among Democrats, and the region associates itself with the Bible Belt that stretches through much of the South. Many of the largest and most-populated counties in the district — Nacogdoches, Rusk, Gregg and Smith — vote reliably Republican. George W. Bush won 69 percent of the district’s 2004 presidential vote, but conservative Democrats historically can win pockets in the 1st, especially in rural Marion County. The district has one of the largest percentages of elderly residents in Texas, which makes access to health care an important issue in rural areas.

Major Industry

Timber, agriculture, manufacturing, steel, oil and gas

Cities

Tyler, 83,650; Longview, 73,344; Lufkin, 32,709; Nacogdoches, 29,914

Notable

Tyler boasts the nation’s largest public rose garden, with 30,000 roses.