UMs from Texas fill 10 seats in new U.S. House of Representatives

United Methodists filled 10 of the 32 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives when the 109th Congress convened Jan. 4 in Washington.
That number is down one from the 108th Congress. Former U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, a United Methodist from Lubbock, resigned his House seat in May 2003.
Two of the United Methodist House members—Reps. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, and Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi—come from communities in the Southwest Texas Conference area.
Doggett is a member of First UMC, Austin. Ortiz belongs to El Buen Pastor UMC, a Rio Grande Conference congregation in Corpus Christi.
Texas has sent the largest contingent of United Methodists to Congress since at least 1990.
Ohio comes in second for the 109th Congress with five UMs. Florida sent four, and Nebraska elected three.
Thirty states have at least one United Methodist representing them in the 109th Congress. That compares to 29 in the 108th.
Sixty-one United Methodists—13 in the Senate, 48 in the House—are members of the 109th Congress. That total is unchanged from the 108th.
United Methodists constitute the third largest faith group in the legislative branch—behind Roman Catholics and Baptists.
Thirty-four United Methodists represent states in the South. Fifteen hail from the Midwest, eight from the Far West and Pacific Coast, and four from the Northeast.
In terms of strength within state delegations, United Methodists fill the highest percentage of seats from Nebraska—three of five (60 percent)—and New Mexico—two of five (40 percent). A third of the members from Arkansas, Kansas and Wyoming are United Methodists.
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are also United Methodists.
A pastor from Kansas City, Mo., has joined the UM congressional contingent. The Rev. Emanuel Cleaver II, a Democrat and former Kansas City mayor, won the seat from Missouri’s 5th Congressional District.