A New York State of Mind
New York's First Congressional District

New York's first congressional district covers the eastern two-thirds of Long Island's Suffolk County, settled after World War II as suburbs of New York City. The district's working-class towns, such as Smithtown and Brookhaven, are home to many conservative Irish-Catholics and Italian-Americans. At its far east end, the district includes the elite Hamptons and Shelter Island, where many wealthy New Yorkers own vacation homes.

Suffolk County is one of the most conservative districts in the New York City area. Republican voter registration outdoes Democratic by a near 2-to-1 ratio. This area has become politically capricious over the last decade, as cuts in the defense industry eliminated local jobs.

The conservatism in the first district is fairly moderate. Republicans hold a considerable edge in enrollment, but Democrats have represented the district in congress for much of the last 30 years. Prior to 1994, four-term Democratic Congressman George Hochbrueckner represented the district, and before that, it was the strong-willed Democrat Otis Pike. In 1996 President Clinton won the district easily; in short, the district tends to vote for the person rather than the party. Environmental issues rank high since tourism and fishing are two of the area's major industries. Many residents hold moderate views on gun control and abortion.

Major industries in the first district include tourism, fishing, research, medicine, and higher education. The defense industry dominated until the Cold War ended - a development that sent the district's economy into a downward spiral. The Brookhaven National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy atomic energy research facility, has great political significance to the district. In recent years, scientific research has replaced defense as a major industry, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory attract many scientists to the area.

In general, residents of this district are wealthier and better educated than the rest of the nation. The average income is $45,464, making the district the state's seventh wealthiest, and among the top third nationwide. About 23 percent are college educated, which places the district in the top third nationally. About two-thirds of residents work in white-collar jobs.

The district is also less racially diverse than the rest of the nation: 89 percent of residents are white. Four percent are black, four percent are Hispanic, and two percent are Asian, according to census figures from 1990, the latest available.