Meet the Democrats breaking through in the country’s most pro-Trump town: ‘Tough nut’

Democrats in Roberts County, Texas, a Panhandle community that has been called the nation's most pro-Trump, say they are struggling to find any foothold, according to The Independent. Donald Trump's share of the vote there topped 94 percent in 2016, 2020 and 2024, peaking at 96. 18 percent in the middle contest. Only three people cast ballots in this year's Democratic primary, compared with 306 in the Republican one. About 870 people live in the county, whose only city is Miami.

Sean Birkenfeld, president of the regional committee Panhandle Democrats, said an event he tried to organize collapsed and that he has found no interest. The county has no Democratic chair. Mark Nair, the party's nominee in Texas' 13th congressional district, said that on his visits perhaps two people turn up. He described residents as kind but immovable on politics, comparing the effort to cracking a tough nut.

Birkenfeld suspects some Democrats stay quiet to avoid backlash, and he cited reports of stolen yard signs across the region. Museum curator Susan Bowers told The Mirror in 2020 that opposing Trump had cost her friendships.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →