Why is Sioux County so Republican compared to the rest of the state? (Iowa City: 2015, house)

[SouthernTiger]

Recently, i've been on a binge looking at election maps. One county that's caught my eye is this one. Even in both Clinton elections with Perot running, it still went 70-80% for the Republican candidate.

I'm just wondering, can anyone tell me why Sioux is so solidly Republican compared to the rest of Iowa?

[capitalcityguy]

Some insights:

The region’s leanings have their origins in Europe a century and more ago, when religious disputes in the Netherlands sent many conservative Dutch Protestants to the New World. They settled in places like Holland, Mich., and Pella, Iowa, in the south-central part of the state and eventually here in northwest Iowa, where Orange City is named for Dutch royalty.

Religiosity hasn’t dulled, either: 85 percent of Sioux County’s residents belong to one of the area’s 39 religious congregations, one of the highest rates in the country. “You could call this the Bible Belt of Iowa,” said Mark Lundberg, the chairman of the Sioux County Republican Party.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/u...unch.html?_r=0

[funksoulbro]

These are the same Iowa idiots who display the Confederate flag on their front porch and/or pickup truck.

Iowa lost more soldiers per-capita fighting for the Union during the Civil War than any other state. How ignorant of history do you have to be to claim the Confederate flag represents "your heritage" when the state you live in lost thousands fighting the opposite side of that war?

I don't like racist people, but I actually respect the KKK for not hiding behind a distorted view of history to dilute their racism. At least the KKK comes right out and says they hate minorities. The Republican Party needs to find that same kind of unabashed courage, instead of dog-whistling their racism through spineless conduits like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell.

[atler8]

As the o.p. noted, Sioux County has a long history of being by far the most ardently partisan of any of the 99 Iowa Counties, whether they be either Democratic or Republican in their preference.
Moving briefly to funksoulbro's comment above, he is absolutely correct about the ratio of lost soldiers that Iowa bore as a young state in the Civil War. Many of those who served &/or died in that conflict were recent immigrants to the U.S. & fighting for reasons that they did not particularly understand but it was their new country that they supported & whose call they answered.
It calls to mind my memory of our recent American history during the Iraq war when I would watch the names & faces of the newly dead soldiers scroll across the tv screen at the end of the Friday news each week. Hispanic names regularly were over-represented among the dead as compared to their share of the national population.
Living in the South and looking in from afar at Iowa, I personally feel disgust for Iowans who willingly display the Confederate flag & other memorabilia for they truly lack an understanding or appreciation of Iowa's history during the Civil War and the sacrifices made by so many of it's soldiers.
Iowa U.S. House Representative Steve King, famously known to display a Confederate flag on his office desk, deservedly drew a rebuke from Governor Branstad.
Nevertheless, the good folks of Sioux County gave Mr. King 70% of their vote in his 2016 re-election contest.
I've often thought that Sioux Countians would choose to elect a dead Republican candidate to office over a living Democrat.
Looking back at presidential election contests over the past 50 odd years, the biggest Democratic landslide in Iowa (& in the nation) occurred in 1964 when Lyndon Johnson swamped Barry Goldwater by gaining nearly 62% of the Iowa vote. Sioux County was one of only 7 Iowa's 99 Counties to vote for the Republican Goldwater whose candidacy they gave approximately 60% of their vote.
In 2016 Sioux County gave trump 14,800 votes as compared to Clinton's 2,300 for a winning percentage of 82% to 12.7%.

[smpliving]

Originally Posted by atler8

Iowa U.S. House Representative Steve King, famously known to display a Confederate flag on his office desk, deservedly drew a rebuke from Governor Branstad.

... embarrassing Iowans since 2003.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by rigizug

... embarrassing Iowans since 2003.

Ain't that the truth! King is a publicity hog & enjoys the limelight & brings attention to Iowa, though I'd readily claim it's unfavorable publicity for the state. You folks may not be aware of it but nationally he is regularly considered to be one of the 3 or 4 worst "goons" in the U.S. House of Representatives. A couple of moderate Republicans in my office here in Atlanta are quite aware of him & have made it clear to me that they don't share his viewpoints.
I recall reading about King in the news many years back when he was doing embarrassing things while representing his Crawford County area in the state legislature.
Eventually he will age & move aside. In view of that, as I follow Iowa legislative developments, I have spotted a couple of what I'd call "nut bags or nut jobs" that regularly say or promote crazy ideas from their perches in far western Iowa state legislative districts. That area of the state is by far the most conservative area of Iowa & sadly seems primed to continue to be permanently represented in the U.S. House by extremist legislators who have no interest in pragmatic leadership in Congress.

[Difficult Dave]

Probably better educated.

[SL Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by Difficult Dave

Probably better educated.

Yep. It's that strong correlation between a well-educated populace and right-leaning political affiliation. For further proof, one needs to only look at Mississippi.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by Difficult Dave

Probably better educated.

Yes especially compared to Iowa City and Ames. Not much fancy book learnin' going on there.

[jmgg]

As a person who probably has more connection to this county than anyone that's posted on this thread so far, let me set some things straight.


First, it's a fact that this county will always be the strongest conservative enclave in Iowa, and it's entirely because of their strict religious beliefs. The churches, primarily of the various Reformed varieties, are the main focus of their lives whether it be social, philosophical, or based on family connections. Traditional families and family values exist here like no other area. "Progressive" ideas whether they actually be centered in common sense or more often being in some extreme contrary to past American traditions are shunned here like no where else.


Second, you aren't going to find ANY confederate flags in Sioux County other than by a couple off the wall kooks who you can find existing anywhere across our nation. You'll find more of these along the southern border counties of Iowa than you'll find in Sioux County.


Third, just because you have conservative values, this doesn't mean you're uneducated. To the contrary, the people of Sioux County's schools and general education I will guarantee to you is well above that of most of the state of Iowa. They've had a recent (mostly within the last 10 years) influx of Mexican immigrants into the county to work on the many huge feeding operations in this county. Their children's entrance into the school systems, just because of language deficiencies alone, will lower the public school performances somewhat as of recently. Incidentally, did you know that more hogs are raised in Sioux County than in the entire state of South Dakota? In fact, recently they were listed as 2nd in the NATION by counties in hog production. These are large operations and unless you have been exposed to agriculture, it is a very complicated occupation today. The notion of the "dumb" farmer still held by city folks is a product of pure ignorance. The level of knowledge to be successful I guarantee would shock those from the major metropolitan areas that think that they're sooooo educated and intelligent.


I don't adhere to the attitude of many of these people in Sioux County as they DO look down upon those not of their Dutch heritage (to some degree) and more importantly their religious affiliations where they're right and everyone else is wrong. Frankly, I've had my fill of it over the years as many of my close relatives fit this attitude. To say they're uneducated, confederate flag waiving morons shows complete ignorance as to who these people really are.