LUSK, Wyo. AP — In rural parts of America, Democrats are becoming increasingly rare. In Niobrara County, Wyoming, the least populated county in the least populated state, only 32 Democrats remain. One of them is Becky Blackburn, who’s known locally as “the crazy Democrat,” though it’s meant affectionately.
Some counties have even fewer Democrats. For instance, Clark County, Idaho, has 21, and Blaine County, Nebraska, has 20. However, Niobrara County’s Democrats make up only 2.6% of registered voters, making them the most outnumbered by Republicans in the 30 states that track local party affiliation, according to Associated Press data.
Wyoming, a state that supported Donald Trump by the widest margin, recently passed a law making it harder to change party affiliation. This will be tested in the upcoming primary, the first election since the law took effect.
In Niobrara County, where Blackburn lives, it’s tough being a Democrat. As a paralegal for the Republican county attorney, she hears a lot of right-wing opinions but usually stays quiet. Despite her political views, which include supporting LGBTQ+ rights and Democratic policies, Blackburn is well-liked in her town of Lusk, where she even served on the Town Council for nine years.
Nationwide, Democrats make up less than 3% of voters in three counties this year, showing a decline from previous years. The most Republican counties are in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, while Democratic strongholds are less dominant.
Niobrara County wasn’t always this Republican. In 2012, there were 83 Democrats, and in 2004, there were 139. The Democratic Party has been losing ground in Wyoming for years, mirroring its struggles in rural America.
In the past, Democrats were a significant force in southern Wyoming, but now their influence is limited to places like Laramie and Jackson. With the party struggling to find candidates, some Democrats have switched to the Republican Party just to have a say in more competitive primaries, though they switch back before the general election.
Wyoming’s new law prevents voters from changing party affiliation close to the primary, frustrating Democrats like former state representative Ross Diercks, who switched parties to vote against a Republican candidate but now finds it harder to do so.
Despite the challenges, some Democrats in the area, like truck driver Pat Jordan, register as Republicans to influence the dominant party. Others, like Ed Fullmer, coach of the local high school basketball team, avoid political discussions but are respected for their work.
Blackburn remains determined to stand by her beliefs, even as the number of Democrats around her dwindles. I am who I am, and I have the views that I have, she says, “and I don’t care if it bothers people or not.
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