The electoral district of Hoogezand was created in 1897 out of part of the Groningen district, which was reduced from two seats to one. Hoogezand's boundaries remained the same throughout the electoral district's existence. Fully located in the province of Groningen, it included the rural municipalities of Bedum, Haren, Hoogezand, Noorddijk, Slochteren and Ten Boer. It was a predominantly agricultural district.[1][2]
The district's population increased slightly during its existence, from 37,562 in 1897 to 40,891 in 1909. A majority of 70.5% of the population was Reformed in 1897, though by 1909 this proportion had dropped to 64.6%. The proportion of Gereformeerden was around 19 to 20%, while Catholics made up a small minority of around 4 to 5% in the district. The share of "Others" grew from 5.3% in 1897 to 10.9% in 1909, which included 8.1% not belonging to any religious affiliation.[3][4]
Throughout its existence, the Hoogezand changed hands between the Liberal Union and the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP). Notable members include Kornelis ter Laan (SDAP), first elected in 1901, and Pieter Rink, the former minister of the interior, who defeated Ter Laan in 1909. In 1913, Hendrik Spiekman (SDAP) won not only the district of Hoogezand, but also the districts of Rotterdam I and Rotterdam II. He opted to represent Rotterdam II, thus triggering by-elections in the other two districts. Rink won back his district and continued to represent Hoogezand until its abolition in 1918.
^De Jong, Ron; Van der Kolk, Henk; Voerman, Gerrit (2011). Verkiezingen op de kaart 1848-2010: Tweede Kamerverkiezingen vanuit geografisch perspectief [Elections on the map 1848-2010: House of Representative elections from a geographic perspective] (in Dutch). Utrecht: Uitgeverij Matrijs. ISBN9789053454374.
