Tennessee's first congressional district makes up the north-eastern corner of the state. According to the census, the district is 57.46% urban and 42.54% rural. It is a primarily White district. This district has strongly voted Republican in the past three elections. In the 2012 presidential election, the Republicans of this district won approximately 73% of the two-party vote. In the 2014 house election, the Republican representative at the time, Phil Roe, ran unopposed. In the 2016 presidential election, the Republicans won 80% of the two-party vote. In the house election, they won 83% of the two-party vote. Currently, Republican incumbent, Phil Roe, and Democratic newcomer, Marty Olsen, are running for this seat. Roe has been this district’s representative since 2009 and is the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Olsen is a professor at East Tennessee State University.