Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

The rest of the Milwaukee suburbs seem to be very conservative, sometimes going upward of 40pts more GOP than the state as a whole. 

What makes these two fairly well populated counties south of Milwaukee different? 

[Nym90]

Well, they aren't Milwaukee suburbs, for starters.

Very working class industrialized area.

[minionofmidas]

If that were all there is to it they'd be more Democratic, Nym. There's suburban development as well, but obviously the industrial cores shape things.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

In 2004 (haven't checked 2008) Kerry won Racine proper solidly, but lost the rest of the county as bad as the Milwaukee suburbs, hence Bush's narrow victory. I doubt the non-Racine proper areas are much different than the areas to the north.

Kenosha was similar, though not quite as polarized, hence Kerry's victory. Though he also did better in Racine proper than Kenosha.