Woodruff County, AR

[HAnnA MArin County]

Does anyone know anything about this county? It was the only majority White/Caucasian county outside of Pulaski County (Little Rock) to vote for Obama (both times!). In fact, it’s only a little whiter than Pulaski County, and is a rural county with a 2010 population of 7,260 (down from 8,741 in 2000). The seat is a town called Augusta, and it looks to be located in AR-01 (Rick Crawford’s district) in Northeastern Arkansas. According to the census, it went from 67.86% White in 2000 to 69.90% in 2010, and 30.75% Black to 27.47% in 2010. The Hispanic population slightly increased from 0.79% to 1.20%.

This may not be as relevant or surprising, but Obama lost the county in a landslide in the primaries to Hillary, yet in 2010 it was Blanche Lincoln's second-best county (only behind Phillips County, the blackest county in the state).

It seems to be a bit of an anomaly in Arkansas. What’s going on here?

[Sol]

Woodruff also had excellent percentages for Nader in 2008.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Romney almost certainly won the white vote here. Otherwise, Arkansas whites (especially in southern and eastern Arkansas) are more democratic than Deep Southern whites for a myriad of reasons.

[JerryArkansas]

Every one in the county is a democat.  That is the only reason, they vote by party lines.

[Miles]

It still seems to hold onto its Yellow Dog traditions.

[Benj]

You know you're an extra-special place when your population has dropped at every Census after 1930. That's got to be close to some kind of record for a county.

I will point out that neighboring Monroe County is significantly more black (39% v. 31% in 2000) but significantly less Democratic (49-49 Romney v. 50-46 Obama). So there's something at least a little weird about Woodruff County.

[CountryClassSF]

This is very strange.  I wonder if the county is more influenced by the neighboring county's demographics

[memphis]

So Obama got about 27% of the White vote there?  I guess that's good for the immediate area. But it's not like he did  that great either. I also wouldn't rule out a clerical error by a local official.

[nclib]

So Obama got about 27% of the White vote there?  I guess that's good for the immediate area. But it's not like he did  that great either. I also wouldn't rule out a clerical error by a local official.

I doubt it since Kerry got 65% here in 2004. Sounds like one of the last yellow-dog counties.

[Calthrina950]

The bottom certainly has fallen out for Democrats here. Donald Trump in 2016 was the first Republican to win this county since Richard Nixon in 1972. Trump won 52-43% over Hillary Clinton. Interestingly enough, in the corresponding Senatorial race, Woodruff County voted for Democratic nominee Conner Eldridge, who was from the county, over John Boozman. Eldridge won the county 61-37%, in what was clearly it's last hurrah as a Democratic stronghold downballot.

In 2020, Woodruff County swung heavily to Trump, who carried it 62-35% against Joe Biden. Trump gained 196 votes here, while Biden lost 262 votes. Tom Cotton won 70-30% over Libertarian nominee Harrington (who was effectively the Democratic candidate). This county is gone for Democrats at all levels.