It is home to several racially diverse middle-class suburbs, including College Park, Fort Washington, Greenbelt, and Laurel.

[1] Like much of the Washington metropolitan area, the 4th district is substantially influenced by the footprint of the nearby federal government.

The Washington Metro provides easy access into the nation's capital, where many employees make daily commutes.

But as a thriving black middle class emerged in the region and laws eliminating racial discrimination in housing were passed, many African Americans opted to leave Washington for Prince George's County in search of a better quality of life.

[3] These racial transformations have turned the district into one of the nation's most Democratic seats, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+40.