LAWTON - There’s been a lot of politics happen in the last 20 years on the national, state and local levels.
LAWTON - There’s been a lot of politics happen in the last 20 years on the national, state and local levels.
Although Oklahoma is now categorized as a politically conservative state, i.e. “red state” by cultural definition, that hasn’t always been the case. Statistics from the Oklahoma State Election Board show that of the nine southwestern Oklahoma counties listed on page 1 in “At A Glance,” six have more Democrats registered than Republicans.
The three counties with a majority of Republicans registered are Grady County, Jackson County, and Stephens County. Grady County may be considered more southcentral than the southwest, but it does border the counties of Caddo, Comanche, and Stephens.
COMANCHE COUNTY
Records from the state election board dating back 20 years to 1999 show that Comanche County has consistently had more citizens registered Democrat than Republican.
In 1999, U.S. Census records show that the population of Comanche County was 106,621 and voter registration totaled 53,603, which is just barely over 50%. The Democratic Party had 33,571 registered compared to the Republican Party at 15,318. For the record, the Independent Party had 4,714 registered voters in 1999.
In 2019, census records show the population of Comanche County is 121,764 and voter registration totaled 55,283. This is an increase of about 15,000 people in 20 years but only an increase of about 1,600 voter registrations.
Although Democratic registrations are still larger than Republican registrations, the numbers are closer than they have ever been over the last 20 years. There are now 756 more Democrats registered in Comanche County compared to Republicans in 2019. In 1999, there were 18,253 more Democrats registered in Comanche County compared to Republicans.
INDEPENDENT PARTY
The biggest change or growth in voter registration in Comanche County over the last 20 years has occurred in the Independent Party. In 1999, the state election board recorded 4,714 registered Independent voters. In 2019, that number is 10,700 - a gain of about 6,000 voter registrations.
It appears most of those voter registrations in the Independent Party shifted from the Democratic Party. Republican registrations in Comanche County have stayed fairly stable over the last 20 years, not even reaching the 20,000 mark until 2017. In comparison, the Democrats have lost about 11,000 registrations over the last 20 years.
Data from the state election board shows voter registration in Comanche County has ranged from a low of 46,215 in 2004 to a high of 57,391 in 2001. The date of the yearly report is always Jan. 15, so the high registration was not linked to the terrorist events of Sept. 11 of that year. It was more than likely linked to the November 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush (R) and Al Gore (D). A year later voter registration in Comanche County was back down to 49,288.
GRADY COUNTY
Over the last 20 years, Grady County has basically flipped from a majority of Democrat-registered voters to Republican-registered voters.
In 1999, there were 17,719 Democrats registered and 7,924 Republicans registered to vote. In 2019, there are 17,758 registered Republicans and 9,664 Democrats registered. Independent registered voters also grew over the last 20 years, as there were 2,257 in 1999 and now 4,740 in 2019.
Where did the biggest change happen? State election board voting records show a trend beginning in 2005 when Republican registrations topped 10,000 for the first time at 10,105. Democrat registrations dropped to 15,886.
Records show steady growth through 2009 when Republican registrations went over 12,000 and then in 2013 the numbers were almost even. Democratic registrations were at 13,562 and Republican registrations were at 13,986. Independent voter registrations were at 4,257.
Now, in 2019, Republican registrations are well above Democrat registrations. Local newspaper archives show that one possible reason for the flip is the organization of a strong Tea Party group that formed in Grady County about 10 years ago. The group held multiple voter registration drives.
The Tea Party movement is/was an American fiscally conservative political movement within the Republican Party.
JACKSON, STEPHENS COUNTIES
State voting registration statistics show that the switch to Republican-dominated registrations in Jackson and Stephens counties are more recent that Grady County. Jackson County went culturally red in 2016 and Stephens County in 2017.