Meet the Democrats breaking through in the country’s most pro-Trump town: ‘Tough nut’
Political outreach can be an uphill battle. But for Democrats trying to make inroads in Roberts County, Texas, it can feel more like a full-bore sprint into a brick wall.
This rural patch of the Texas Panhandle has long been described as America’s most pro-Trump county with more than 94 percent of its voters backing Donald Trump in each of the past three presidential elections.
By contrast, the county’s Kamala Harris voters could all fit comfortably on a school bus. This year’s Democratic primary voters could share an Uber.
“We just haven’t been able to get any traction there,” Sean Birkenfeld, president of Panhandle Democrats, a regional political action committee, told The Independent.
In interviews, Democrats described the Sisyphean task of gaining a foothold in Roberts County where Fox News plays in local businesses, Trump signs dot lawns and the party of Franklin Roosevelt has spent decades in hibernation. Some suspect there are actually more Democrats than election returns suggest but that they remain “closeted,” reluctant to advertise their politics for fear of backlash.
Roberts County, located about 80 miles northwest of Amarillo, is home to roughly 870 people. Its economy revolves around agribusiness and oil, and it is one of just three Texas counties that still prohibits alcohol sales. Its only city is Miami, pronounced “My-am-uh.”
The county earned its reputation as Trump’s most loyal in 2016, when he won 94.58 percent of its votes — the highest Republican vote share of any county in that election. Its support has remained remarkably consistent: Trump took 96.18 percent of the vote in 2020 and 95.63 percent in 2024.
For some residents, Trump represented a promise that people like them would not be overlooked. “I feel like Trump has my back, I hope he doesn’t prove me wrong,” local resident John Faith told a news outlet in 2016.
Another resident, Steve Porter, emphasized strength, immigration and jobs in an interview with ABC News in 2018. “I realized that we needed a president who believed America was great. Greater than all other countries,” he said.
Democrats hoping to establish a presence in the county have had their work cut out for them. This year’s Democratic primary drew just three voters, while the GOP’s drew 306.
Mark Nair, the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 13th congressional district, which encompasses the county, said he has visited Roberts County several times. Drawing a crowd has proved difficult.
“Seriously, it’s like two people that would come,” he told The Independent.
Birkenfeld’s attempt to organize an event in Roberts County, meanwhile, never reached the point of counting attendees. He contacted people about setting something up, he said, but the plans fell through. “I haven’t actually been able to get any engagement,” the political organizer said.
There is currently no Democratic county chair to help make the introductions or rally potential volunteers. The position is vacant, Birkenfeld said, leaving the party without local leadership.
