Why is Oklahoma City more conservative than other cities its size

[Samof94]

What makes Oklahoma City more conservative than similar cities in other states?

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Oklahoma City is unique in that most of its suburbs are in the city limits. The urban core is democratic, but its suburbs are similar to those in Nashville (white, evangelical, etc.)

[Skill and Chance]

Oklahoma City is unique in that most of its suburbs are in the city limits. The urban core is democratic, but its suburbs are similar to those in Nashville (white, evangelical, etc.)

Also the local UMC that would otherwise be swinging left is disproportionately in oil and gas, perhaps even more so than in Houston.

[Sol]

Most smaller cities in the south-central part of the country are fairly Republican. Since Oklahoma and Texas are in the south, that means white voters are highly Republican, and that's reinforced by fossil fuel industries and evangelical Protestantism. There are fewer Black voters in most of these cities, which lowers the Democratic floor, and turnout among Latino voters in these places is low due to some people lacking citizenship and various kinds of social marginalization. The result is cities which are well to the right of most similar places in other regions of the country.

Dallas and Houston have this tendency to a lesser extent, but they're still noticeably to the right of other big American cities, with the CSA of both voting for Trump in 2020 despite being extremely large and diverse. Other cities, like Waco, Abilene, Amarillo, Tyler, etc. remain total Republican sweeps. Oklahoma City falls between these two in size and politically, in that it has enough Democratic precincts to draw a Lean R seat, but nevertheless remains a pretty Republican metro area overall.

The only real outliers in this regional pattern are the RGV cities (obviously), Austin (obviously), and San Antonio, which is a bit more Democratic than you'd expect, I assume due to higher citizenship rates from long-standing immigration flows.

[Spectator]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

[Schiff for Senate]

Oklahoma City is unique in that most of its suburbs are in the city limits. The urban core is democratic, but its suburbs are similar to those in Nashville (white, evangelical, etc.)

This. Keep in mind that in 2020, Oklahoma City (Trump+1.6) actually voted to the right of Oklahoma County (Trump+1.1).

[nclib]

Oklahoma City is unique in that most of its suburbs are in the city limits. The urban core is democratic, but its suburbs are similar to those in Nashville (white, evangelical, etc.)

This. Keep in mind that in 2020, Oklahoma City (Trump+1.6) actually voted to the right of Oklahoma County (Trump+1.1).

Yes, but Okla. City in Okla. County was Biden +10. The only reason the above is true is that OKC suburbs within Okla. County were more Democratic (or rather less Republican) than the parts of OKC in other counties.

[Schiff for Senate]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

TX suburbs are seeing a large influx of people moving from CA though (that, of course, is the biggest reason the DFW suburbs are swinging so hard left).

[Roll Roons]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

Very few people decide where to move because of the politics of their destination. Lots of liberals have been moving to Austin despite Texas being a red state and young people who want to work in Republican politics move to DC even though Biden got 94% of the vote there. People go where their jobs take them.

[David Hume]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

Very few people decide where to move because of the politics of their destination. Lots of liberals have been moving to Austin despite Texas being a red state and young people who want to work in Republican politics move to DC even though Biden got 94% of the vote there. People go where their jobs take them.

I assume they would prefer to live and vote in VA rather than DC.

[Sol]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

Very few people decide where to move because of the politics of their destination. Lots of liberals have been moving to Austin despite Texas being a red state and young people who want to work in Republican politics move to DC even though Biden got 94% of the vote there. People go where their jobs take them.

I assume they would prefer to live and vote in VA rather than DC.

I think a lot do, but there are non-zero numbers in DC. IIRC the stereotype during the Trump administration was that staffers would live along the north side of the Anacostia, in places like Navy Yard (not that shows up in election results because there, like everywhere, they are wildly outvoted.)

[Roll Roons]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

Very few people decide where to move because of the politics of their destination. Lots of liberals have been moving to Austin despite Texas being a red state and young people who want to work in Republican politics move to DC even though Biden got 94% of the vote there. People go where their jobs take them.

I assume they would prefer to live and vote in VA rather than DC.

I think a lot do, but there are non-zero numbers in DC. IIRC the stereotype during the Trump administration was that staffers would live along the north side of the Anacostia, in places like Navy Yard (not that shows up in election results because there, like everywhere, they are wildly outvoted.)

That stereotype is still true.

Signed,
Republican political staffer and current Navy Yard resident.

[David Hume]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

Very few people decide where to move because of the politics of their destination. Lots of liberals have been moving to Austin despite Texas being a red state and young people who want to work in Republican politics move to DC even though Biden got 94% of the vote there. People go where their jobs take them.

I assume they would prefer to live and vote in VA rather than DC.

I think a lot do, but there are non-zero numbers in DC. IIRC the stereotype during the Trump administration was that staffers would live along the north side of the Anacostia, in places like Navy Yard (not that shows up in election results because there, like everywhere, they are wildly outvoted.)

That stereotype is still true.

Signed,
Republican political staffer and current Navy Yard resident.

May I ask why? It's so close to VA where I guess may be cheaper to live, safer, and your votes count.

[Roll Roons]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

Very few people decide where to move because of the politics of their destination. Lots of liberals have been moving to Austin despite Texas being a red state and young people who want to work in Republican politics move to DC even though Biden got 94% of the vote there. People go where their jobs take them.

I assume they would prefer to live and vote in VA rather than DC.

I think a lot do, but there are non-zero numbers in DC. IIRC the stereotype during the Trump administration was that staffers would live along the north side of the Anacostia, in places like Navy Yard (not that shows up in election results because there, like everywhere, they are wildly outvoted.)

That stereotype is still true.

Signed,
Republican political staffer and current Navy Yard resident.

May I ask why? It's so close to VA where I guess may be cheaper to live, safer, and your votes count.

I actually work in VA now so I’m planning on moving there when my lease expires, but I used to work on the Hill which Navy Yard is very convenient to, plus there are a lot of other young people who live there.

[RINO Tom]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

TX suburbs are seeing a large influx of people moving from CA though (that, of course, is the biggest reason the DFW suburbs are swinging so hard left).

Is there any evidence that at least 50% of these people coming to Texas from California are not Republicans, though?  You could have your standard leftward swings of college-educated women in places like Dallas or Houston and combine that with Republican-leaning transplants fleeing high-tax California and still see a similar Democratic trend that we have seen...

[Schiff for Senate]

Because what liberal is dying to move to the state of Oklahoma? Same reason why Florida and Texas cities aren’t as blue as similar sized cities.

TX suburbs are seeing a large influx of people moving from CA though (that, of course, is the biggest reason the DFW suburbs are swinging so hard left).

Is there any evidence that at least 50% of these people coming to Texas from California are not Republicans, though?  You could have your standard leftward swings of college-educated women in places like Dallas or Houston and combine that with Republican-leaning transplants fleeing high-tax California and still see a similar Democratic trend that we have seen...

Some of it is anecdotal and based on my personal experience. My own family seriously considered moving from Pleasanton, CA, to Southlake, TX, back in 2021, and both my parents (as well as now myself) are staunch Democrats. The major pull factor for TX (at least, in the case of my family) is not lower taxes as much as the much lower cost of living that TX has to offer; that's naturally going to appeal to even the most loyal liberal Democrats.

Also keep in mind that there's a growing Asian population in particular in some of the suburbs - which was one of the reasons my family would have been willing to move to TX - and that population is doubtless solidly Democratic.