Why does Arizona vote so differently than Nevada?

[stevekamp]

Before air conditioning in the late Forties, Arizona and Nevada were both southern expatriate Democratic -- Truman in 1948 carried every county in Arizona, and Clark in Nevada.  Between 1948 and 1952, midwestern migrants moved to Arizona and elected a Republican Governor in 1950, the first ever Republican Congressman in 1952 (John Rhodes) and of course Barry Goldwater to his first Senate seat. The Republican vote more than doubled (from 77K to 152 K) whereas the D vote only moved from 95 K to 108 K, and this basic trend has remained, althougfh LBJ in 1964 came within 4,782 raw votes of beating Goldwater.  The Cluinton 1996 win was a Perot-siphoned plurality.

In 1952, the Democratic vote remained at 31 K (same as 1948), but the Republican jumped from 29 K to 50 K, not quite the Arizona leap. Nevada after 1952 still had Democratic pockets.  Stevenson in 1956 flipped Clark County, and Kennedy in 1960 won Nevada by 2,493 votes.  Post-1964, Nevada was no worse for Ds than any other western state.  In 2004, Republicans peaked at 418 K versus the Kerry 397 K.  In 2008, Obama added 136,000 new votes, whereas McCain lost 6,000.  Romney added 50 K, but Obama only lost 3 K.  Clark County Democratic vote between 2004 and 2008 jumped 99 K, a 

[stevekamp]

and between 2004 and 2008, Clark County Dem vote jumped 99 K whereas Republican moved only 2 K.  Romney added 32 K, but Obama 2012 added 90 K.

Much of Clark County is Filipino, African American, Hispanic, Jewish and casino workers (unionized).