The district includes Albuquerque and also Torrance and Bernalillo counties. In the past two national elections, the district leaned slightly Democratic, voting for both Al Gore and John Kerry. Republicans, however, have held the House seat for four decades because of the large number of moderates and independents. Of the roughly 345,000 registered voters, 46 percent are Democrat, 35 percent are Republican, and the remaining 19 percent are "others." Also of note, considering the immigration showdown on Capitol Hill: The district is 43 percent Hispanic.