Location

The 44th District is in Kansas City, Missouri and includes Brookside, Waldo, The Ward Parkway corridor, and a portion of the Hickman Mills and Center School Districts. Zip codes within the district are 64112, 64113, 64114, 64131, and 64132. The furthest eastern boundary is Hickman Mills Drive east of 71 Hwy, the furthest western boundary is State Line Road, with 47th Street to the North and 95th Street to the South.

History

The area within the 44th District has been represented by several great public servants. The former representative most widely known, however, is U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), for whom the State Legislature marked the beginning of an impressive political career that continues today.

The northern portion of the 44th is known as the “Country Club District” for its stately homes like the one pictured below and its proximity to the Country Club Plaza. In the early part of the 20th century, J.C. Nichols developed these neighborhoods and included restrictive covenants barring African-Americans and Jews. These practices were struck down by the Supreme Court in 1948, paving the way for the Kanders to move further south in Brookside and Waldo.

A testament to progress, the “Country Club District” is now represented by someone who wouldn’t have been permitted to buy a home there just a half-century ago.

Population

Approximately 36,000 people live in the 44th District, including Jason’s grandmother and grandfather (pictured below on election night 2008).

74% are white, 21% are African-American, and 4% are Hispanic. 40% of households contain married couples and 24% of all households have children. 4% of residents are foreign born. 54% of residents are female. 28% of adults over 25 hold a bachelor’s degree while 8% did not finish high school. 11% of residents over the age of 18 are current or former members of the Armed forces. Of those employed, approximately 12.5% hold “blue collar” occupations, with the majority of residents employed in “service” or “white collar” occupations.