Wainwright County
Upland textiles area with a growing amount of commuters and retirees. Mostly small towns but with a large-ish suburban area (mostly middle class to upper middle class) in the northeast of the county. Large Evangelical population. Traditionally a modestly affluent area.
Historically, Wainwright was a swing county with a Republican lean. Since the '70s, the GOP has cemented its control on the county, thanks primarily to religious conservatism but also to the economic conservatism of commuters. In 2004, Wainwright gave George W. Bush 71 percent of the vote.
Armstrong County
A collection of small and very working class old coal towns with a large and remote rural area that used to be a metal mining centre. Large Evangelical population.
Desperately poor, Armstong has been a Democratic stronghold since the New Deal. However, the GOP has lately made sizable inroads due to "wedge" issues such as abortion and gun control. In 2004, Armstrong voted for John Kerry, but with only 55 percent of the vote- a steep decline from even 2000, which also was a bad Democratic year here.
Maudling County
An affluent area made up mostly of oldish middle suburbs. Has a fairly large Jewish population in parts but isn't an especially religious area on the whole.
Maulding has a strong Democratic lean. It hasn't voted for a Republican since 1988, and Kerry won solidly.
Spa Township
A very rich town surrounded by rich agricultural areas. Increasingly a base for affluent commuters and has no real industrial base.
Historically ultra-Republican, voting for Hoover, Landon, and Goldwater, Spa surprised everyone by voting for Bill Clinton in 1996. Bush carried it in both 2000 and 2004, but his margins were underwhelming and the township is clearly moving toward the Democrats.
