CQ Politics

Extending from the Cascade Mountains to San Juan Island in the northwestern corner of the state, the 2nd covers an area that is mostly rural in its topography and moderate in its politics. Most residents live along Interstate 5, a technology corridor that runs up the state’s coast, while rural areas just west of the mountains provide open expanses of land, much of it national forest. Between lies a fertile agricultural plain.

Everett, the district’s most populous city, is home to Boeing’s largest aerospace facility, which employs thousands of district residents. Other manufacturing companies linked to Seattle’s technology industries are located in the 2nd, and these white-collar jobs drive the local economy.

Although no longer dominant, the 2nd’s natural resources industries continue to provide some jobs in the rural east, and agriculture workers produce everything from raspberries to dairy products. Tourists and conservationists travel to the state and national forests that line the western slope of the Cascade Range in eastern Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties.

West of the mountains and north of Mount Vernon, residents are closer to Vancouver, British Columbia, than to Seattle. These areas are popular havens for retirees seeking a slower pace not too far from big city amenities. San Juan County, a collection of islands southwest of Bellingham, has the highest median age in the state (47 years).

The 2nd is highly competitive politically and tends to be represented by centrists. The urban centers of Everett in the south and Bellingham in the north are liberal, while rural areas lean conservative. San Juan County was John Kerry’s best Washington county in the 2004 presidential election and helped him win the 2nd with 51 percent of its overall vote.

Major Industry

Aviation, computer software, shipping

Military Bases

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, 7,914 military, 1,286 civilian (2001); Naval Station Everett, 5,657 military, 653 civilian (2004)

Cities

Everett (pt.), 87,329; Bellingham, 67,171; Mount Vernon, 26,232

Notable

Skagit County, home to the world’s largest tulip fields, hosts a tulip festival every April; There are no stop lights on the San Juan Islands.