Gillespie County, Texas

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Why is this county so Republican?  The only Democrat to break 30% in the Atlas database is LBJ.  Is there something special about the county?

[Franzl]

It's an extremely German area. I'd imagine that plays a role.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Heavily German (as are neighbouring counties, though not to the same extent generally) and very Republican since ever, pretty much. I think it was the only part of Texas to vote against Breckinridge (may be wrong).

And LBJ did well there because he was from there. 1960 might have been the first time the Democrats ever cracked 20% there (certainly the first time for a long time) and 1964 was the first (and only) time it was ever won. The swing there in '64 was the highest in Texas and one of the highest (I think) in the country.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The swing there in '64 was the highest in Texas and one of the highest (I think) in the country.

It was the highest in Texas, but nowhere near the highest nationally.

[RI]

1960 might have been the first time the Democrats ever cracked 20% there (certainly the first time for a long time) and 1964 was the first (and only) time it was ever won. The swing there in '64 was the highest in Texas and one of the highest (I think) in the country.

Some more results going back further than 1940 (what Atlas has):

1936: 56% R, 40% D,  4% Other
1932: 20% R, 80% D
1928: 55% R, 45% D
1924: 28% R, 13% D, 59% Prog
1920: 60% R,   7% D, 33% Other
1916: 78% R, 22% D
1912: 14% R, 19% D, 67% Prog
1908: 82% R, 17% D,  1% Other
1904: 75% R, 24% D,  1% Other
1900: 73% R, 27% D
1896: 69% R, 23% D,  8% Other
1892: 26% R, 46% D, 26% Pop,  2% Prohibition
1888: 36% R, 64% D
1884: 51% R, 49% D
1880: 56% R, 44% D
1876: 49.8% R, 50.2% D (One vote victory for the Dems, 133-132)
1872: 46% R, 54% D
1868: Reconstruction
1864: Civil War
1860: 51% Bell, 49% Breckenridge
1856: 18% A, 82% D
1852:  3% W, 97% D

[Hash]

What are the 33% Others in 1920? SPA?

[Rob]

Heavily German (as are neighbouring counties, though not to the same extent generally) and very Republican since ever, pretty much.

The area was also terrorized by Confederates during the Civil War, and voted over 90 percent against prohibition (which helps to explain why Smith did so well).

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Heavily German

That explains 1916 and 1924.

[Hash]

I made a thread asking the same question a while back, but focused on the two counties that voted Progressive in '24.

Should try to find it...

[Sam Spade]

My parents have had a place up there for over 30 years now.  I knew a lot of the locals.

A lot of what has been said now is true.  The place was strongly anti-slavery, even though most of the German emigres came after the Civil War (as memory serves me).

I don't know what animated the Teddy Roosevelt vote in 1912, but I can tell you than the strong LaFollette vote in 1924 is a remnant of his opposition to WWI because the area, as Al said, is heavily German. (and why they were opposed to WWI should be obvious)

Smith did extremely well and the place voted against prohibition because the Germans that settled the area tended to be from Bavaria or Moravia, which means that they were mostly Catholic.  Catholics voting for Catholics and against liquor.  Not terribly surprising. 

LBJ was born in eastern Gillespie (about a couple of miles from my parents place actually)  LBJ Ranch is in Fredericksburg, the county seat.  His family moved to Johnson City in Hays County right after he was born, but I'm pretty sure he represented both areas coming up the ranks.  Anyway, that was definitely a hometown thing.

Anyway, the area is heavily, heavily German and very insular.  Over the past 15 years a lot of yuppies from Austin and San Antonio have bought second houses up there and there's been some development, but I expect that's about to end.  A few of the real old-timers still speak with a German accent and still most of the people over 50 still have a slight German tint to their speaking, which makes them actually sound a bit like they're from Minnesota.  Odd.

[Rob]

Just out of curiosity, Spade, what do the locals actually think about the Civil War these days? I know there's a monument to Union soldiers inscribed with "Treue der Union" somewhere around there (dunno if it's actually in Gillespie).

[Franzl]

Not directly in Gillespie, but it's just a few miles south of it.

[Hash]

Smith did extremely well and the place voted against prohibition because the Germans that settled the area tended to be from Bavaria or Moravia, which means that they were mostly Catholic.  Catholics voting for Catholics and against liquor.  Not terribly surprising. 

And Bavarians like liquor a lot!

[minionofmidas]

Smith did extremely well and the place voted against prohibition because the Germans that settled the area tended to be from Bavaria or Moravia, which means that they were mostly Catholic.  Catholics voting for Catholics and against liquor.  Not terribly surprising. 

And Bavarians like liquor a lot!

They do? They seem to like very large quantities of very crappy beer (as long as we're talking Bavarian, as opposed to Franconian, who have very good beer) but I'm not sure they like the hard stuff much.

[Sam Spade]

Smith did extremely well and the place voted against prohibition because the Germans that settled the area tended to be from Bavaria or Moravia, which means that they were mostly Catholic.  Catholics voting for Catholics and against liquor.  Not terribly surprising. 

And Bavarians like liquor a lot!

They do? They seem to like very large quantities of very crappy beer (as long as we're talking Bavarian, as opposed to Franconian, who have very good beer) but I'm not sure they like the hard stuff much.

Well, most of the people in Gillespie do tend to drink crappy beer, or so I noticed... 

[Franzl]

Smith did extremely well and the place voted against prohibition because the Germans that settled the area tended to be from Bavaria or Moravia, which means that they were mostly Catholic.  Catholics voting for Catholics and against liquor.  Not terribly surprising. 

And Bavarians like liquor a lot!

They do? They seem to like very large quantities of very crappy beer (as long as we're talking Bavarian, as opposed to Franconian, who have very good beer) but I'm not sure they like the hard stuff much.

Well, most of the people in Gillespie do tend to drink crappy beer, or so I noticed... 

Budweiser?

[Sam Spade]

Just out of curiosity, Spade, what do the locals actually think about the Civil War these days? I know there's a monument to Union soldiers inscribed with "Treue der Union" somewhere around there (dunno if it's actually in Gillespie).

I don't remember the topic ever coming up in conversation.  I doubt it does in East Tennessee either.

Franzl is right, the monument is in Comfort, TX, which isn't Gillespie - it's one of the counties to the South (Kerr, Kendall??)

[Sam Spade]

Smith did extremely well and the place voted against prohibition because the Germans that settled the area tended to be from Bavaria or Moravia, which means that they were mostly Catholic.  Catholics voting for Catholics and against liquor.  Not terribly surprising. 

And Bavarians like liquor a lot!

They do? They seem to like very large quantities of very crappy beer (as long as we're talking Bavarian, as opposed to Franconian, who have very good beer) but I'm not sure they like the hard stuff much.

Well, most of the people in Gillespie do tend to drink crappy beer, or so I noticed... 

Budweiser?

I guess so, but not really.  More like the local crappy beers like Shiner, Lone Star, even Mexican beers (ugh).

[Franzl]

Heavily German (as are neighbouring counties, though not to the same extent generally) and very Republican since ever, pretty much.

The area was also terrorized by Confederates during the Civil War, and voted over 90 percent against prohibition (which helps to explain why Smith did so well).

do you have a link with prohibition referendum results anywhere?

[Rob]

I don't remember the topic ever coming up in conversation.  I doubt it does in East Tennessee either.

Never? Even in Oregon, the topic of the Civil War (very) occasionally pops up in casual conversation. You'd think that this would also be true in an area with such a unique history...

do you have a link with prohibition referendum results anywhere?

I don't, unfortunately, but there's a map of Missouri's prohibition repeal vote somewhere on Atlas... I got the Gillespie tidbit from the Texas Online Handbook, or whatever it's called.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

I doubt the civil war is much of a hot topic these days in such areas. They continue to vote Republican for the same reason the rest of the south is, cultural issues. The lack of a Democratic tradition means they are more Republican than their neighbors, but it's not the main thing being voted on anymore.

Something interesting and noteworthy, in many of these type of places Kerry, and sometimes even Obama did better than FDR.