What are the most, and least, Democratic areas in Texas?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

I'm relatively new to the state, 3d year living here. I live in what I feel must be one of the most Republican places anywhere, Plano/Collin County. It FEELS like 90 percent of everyone is a Bush Worshipping Republican here. There is "President George Bush Tollway". It seems like virtually every elected representative in Collin Co. is a Repub and often times no Dem candidate even run...

I know there must be Dems in Dallas because Laura Miller is the mayor. I figure they must be in town because I DO see Kerry stickers when I'm in town.

Reviewing Texas voting in past Presidential Elections:

http://www.uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/

Just looking back past shrubya's election, I was interested to see that the margin of victory for the Repubs was less than 5 percent for both Clinton campaigns. SOMEONE definitely liked and voted for Clinton in Texas! I assume this corresponds to the period that Ann Richards was Gov. also. Other than that, Repubs won double digits except Carter winning here, and the JFK/LBJ/Humphrey elections. Was really surprised that Humphrey won here, I am assuming that reflected some leftover mojo from the LBJ era?

Anyway I assume that there are more liberals and Dems around Austin since it's more liberal and diverse in thinking than here in Dallas, although there's a lot of corporate big money interests like Dell too.

What about El Paso and along the border? Any good sites that break down the regional politics, Dem vs. Repub, in TX?

[TriMetFan]

1. San Antonio very Democrat

[Yupster]

2. Inner cities and the valley

are the most Democratic.

The hill country and west Texas are the most Republican.

In Midland County (West Texas), President Clinton finished third after Bush Sr and Perot in 1992.

[GOPisEvil]

3. Come to Austin, but avoid the suburbs!

Lots of liberals down here. You definitely would not be alone.

[jburton]

4. It's like most "Red" states

Cities - Dem
Burbs & Rural - Repug

Collin County is probably the worst. I live in real Dallas and I swear it's like a different planet up there.

The northern Austin suburbs are similarly horrendous, politically.

[GOPisEvil]

5. Rural areas of Texas vote more Democratic than you think.

Several of the target of re-redictricting were Democrats primarily in rural areas. What re-redistricting did was tie urban areas and rural areas with suburban majorities to decrease the influence of these two traditionally Democratic strongholds (in Congress anyway). The rural folks might vote Republican locally, but they tend to vote for Democrats in Congress (of the Texas variety, but still better than a Tom DeLay clone).

[jburton]

6. that's true

Some parts of East and East-Central TX have voted "Demmycrat" forever. Still plenty of Yellow Dog Dems around.

[texastoast]

10. East of I-45

Lots of Dems.

[liveoaktx]

8. My county is more Democrats, which is why Delay redistricted it

[lastliberalintexas]

19. Yep, East Texas got screwed

We're certainly not liberal (and we're trending more repub), but we are still a Dem stronghold. Delay really put the screws to our area in his warped idea of re-re-districting. And urban Houston and Austin didn't fare much better.

The Suburbanites are now in charge, thank you very much. In my area that means the voters of The Woodlands, Kingwood, Humble and Conroe get to call the shots. And if you've seen the majority of these Stepford Clones, you know just how bad the situation really is! Arrrrrrrrrrrgh!*



* No offense to our DUers from these oh so loverly areas!

[Lisa0825]

7. Galveston County is a good Democratic county...

Pretty blue-collar, lots of plant workers, union folks, etc. The Galveston County Democrats Club (so I am told) is the state's oldest active Democratic club.

[PDittie]

9. SE Texas as well

Jefferson, Hardin, and Orange counties all went for Gore in 2000.

They have been strong union areas since I was a kid, and continue to support the party's candidates.

Houston proper is polling 50-47 Bush over Kerry (with the MoE).

So the urban areas of the state, the Valley, and the SE corner of the state are the Democratic strongholds; the suburbs of Dallas, Ft.Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antone and the rural areas are GOP red.

[lastliberalintexas]

18. Only Jefferson

At least in presidential races. Hardin and Orange counties have come under the influence of the conservative white flighters, and the entire area is being corrupted by the Christian Coalition types.

Down ballot, all 3 of those counties tend to go Dem, as well as Jasper, Tyler, Newton and San Augustine counties. And we disliked Perry before disliking Perry was cool.

But the area is trending more and more repub (it's always been *conservative* Dem). This, despite one of the highest unemployment rates in the state (even rivaling South Texas in some parts), some of the most polluted land/air in the world, and THE ROYAL SCREWING we took in Delay's re-re-districting fiasco.

We now have absolutely zero power in the Lege and Congress, as all of our elected officials are likely to be from the wealthy Houston suburbs that have NOTHING in common with the blue collar, Cajun, African American, and culturally diverse areas of SE Texas. My Congressman is now to be Kevin Brady (can I just shoot myself now?), and it's looking less and less likely that Lampson will be able to pull off the miracle.

But none of that matters, because the repubs SAY they'll outlaw abortion, and we all know that is the really important issue of our time. And not that the repubs haven't had the Presidency, the House, the Senate AND the Supreme Court for the past 2 years and have failed to do so. They still SAY that they'll do it. :eyes:


Sorry for the mini-rant. I just sometimes get so very disgusted with the way things are going down here!

[NoPasaran]

11. El Paso is extremely Democratic

In 2000, it went for Gore over Bush and Nader 58/40/2 and even preferred sacrificial lamb Gene Kelly for Senator over Kay Bailey Hutchison 49/48. In 2002, Tony Sanchez carried El Paso over Good Hair 62/35! But turnout in El Paso is low---145k in 2000, only 104k in 2002.

Compared to the Sun City, the "Democratic stronghold" of Travis County hasn't fared so well lately. In 2000, Bush led over Gore and Nader 47/41/10 and Hutchison trounced Kelly 54/33. But voter turnout was more than twice El Paso's at 303k. In 2002, Sanchez carried the county by only 787 votes of 220k cast. Clearly we in Travis County have our work cut out for us this year!

Many county websites have links to their election results from the last few cycles.

[WolverineDG]

12. this is exactly why

we need to shake trees to get voters to the polls, and harass the kerry campaign to get the candidates' butts down here a couple more times. i'm tired of the D/FW & other metro areas having a strangle-hold on the rest of the state. besides, we all know from what we hear/see in the streets that bush is in big trouble here in texas, but do we see that in the polls? nope, which is why neither party is spending much time or money here in texas.

dg

[lastliberalintexas]

20. That's the problem state wide

TURNOUT

Texas ranks 48th in the nation in percentage of the eligible population that is actually registered, and 49th in percentage of those registered who actually go to the polls. Argh.

[mcd1982]

21. location?

lastliberalintexas...what county do you live in?

[lastliberalintexas]

26. Hardin

Unfortunately! :-)

My in-laws live in Nacogdoches, so I feel for you too. Y'all have your work cut out for you up there. I wonder why all those nice little College Repubs are still running around SFA? Have they been unable to find the recruiter's office?

[2bfree]

13. Aransas County is 90% repulican............

I swear there are only about 15 democrates in the whole county!

[Lithos]

14. Now what's wrong with Collin County?

I live here and have noticed that it is BETTER than it was even 5 years ago. I would say that we are about 30-35% Dem at the moment and increasing. A far cry of about 25-30% when I first moved here 10 years ago.

L-

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. This is good to know, thanks. n/t

[Phil214]

23. Democrats in Collin

I only looked at the Plano figures, but it seems that for west Plano, west of 75, most precincts went for Bush by 75 to 80 %. Now I realize you said it was better than it was 5 yrs ago, and it's almost as such. Still, that does not change the fact that it's among the most conservative areas of the nation outside the bonafide Deep South and Utah. Still, to be fair, I do see some hope for Plano, at least downtown Plano, which is seeing a downtown revival well under way, and it seems like it has been for years. To me, it has the potential to become a kind of small pocket of bohemianism over the next 15 to 20 years - even if not on the scale of a Deep Ellum or Lower Greenville. Plano is pretty well-educated (but then again, so is College Station!), but it's Asian population is pretty large - six percent in 2000 according to my understanding.

At any rate, I think Dallas' days as a strongly conservative metropolitan area are CLEARLY numbered!!!! I'll bet by 2020 Texas go the way California did in the late 80s and early 90s!!

[Empathelle]

28. "My mom recently move to Allen."

I was looking for a Walgreens and instead found about 10 churches within a one mile radius. I'm not saying that's horrible, just a little sad. BTW, she and my stepdad are totally becoming drones to their church. My little brother can't even read Harry Potter.

[newyawker99]

29. Hi Empathelle!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[SilasSoule]

16. The Riog Grande Valley (Border area) and El Paso

as well as that little oasis of blue amongst all the red, Austin.

[montieg]

17. Coleman County is 50-50

but seems to roll over for Bush every time, tho this time he has set local Dems ON FIRE! Organized, active, and loud...first time in 30 years. We've been redistricted out twice in 2 years--our state rep first-- paired into district with Repube from Bandera, then taken out of Stenholm and put in with Bush's former business partner's "safe" midland district--sucks out loud. Hope we can send a message to all those conned into thinking they're rich enough to vote Repube. Never give in. Never give in. Never!

[drfemoe]

22. according to that website

that shows political donations, Hill County is the most Democratic. Strangely enough, that's very near the 'ranch'. (if I wasn't ill w/ bronchitis - code red pollution in Dallas area doesn't help - I would find the site for you)

From my visits there, and the people I've met, Austin seems more liberal as well.

[Phil214]

24. Not-so-Red Dallas (or perhaps Slightly Blue??)

Anyway I assume that there are more liberals and Dems around Austin since it's more liberal and diverse in thinking than here in Dallas, although there's a lot of corporate big money interests like Dell too.

What about El Paso and along the border? Any good sites that break down the regional politics, Dem vs. Repub, in TX?

Even Dallas has a few not-so-conservative, if not actually liberal/democratic, areas. Don't confuse the suburbs for the City itself!!! I live in the city, just west of 75. I'm at the Southeast end of the Texas 32nd Congressional District - the site of the Frost/Sessions square-off you've likely read about in the papers (the "sign war", you know). South of Forest and east of Preston, all the way down to Lake Highlands (off Lower Greenville), I see about 4 or 5 Kerry or Frost signs for every Bush or Sessions one. NW Dallas city and certainly NW Dallas Co. probably have more of Bush and Sessions, though. True, Dallas is not Austin, but it sure as hell isn't Tyler or Midland or Abeline either.

[crispini]

27. The City of Dallas...

voted for Gore last time.

Dallas county, no. But this time, I think Dallas county will go blue. And hopefully sweep in a bunch of good Dem judges, sheriff, and tax assessor on the Kerry coat tails.

Edited to note: AND what we need are a bunch more of us LOUD MAD DEMOCRATS that will stand up for what they believe, wear Kerry buttons etc. There are SO MANY people that come up to me and say "I like your button. I thought I was the ONLY Democrat around."

Visibility. Be an out and proud dem!

[Czolgosz]

25. Corpus Christi is still reliably Democratic

Don't pay attention to the websites that show higher amounts of Republican campaign contributions as compared to Democratic campaign contributions coming out of the county; the Republicans may have the checkbooks but we have the votes.