Safe Republican States

[ElectionsGuy]

Utah - Utah has 6 electoral votes, and around 2.8 million people at the moment. Mormons make up >50% of the population. Generally, the more Mormons there are in a specific area, the more conservative it is. One of the reasons Utah is still incredibly republican is because it is still 80% white, which compared to Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico (its neighbors) is pretty high. The state is only 13% Hispanic, which is also low compared to its neighbors. Throughout history this state has been one of the safest if not the safest republican state there is, and in recent history it is the safest republican state. Republicans do well in all of the outer suburbs and rural areas that are generally high in Mormon %. Democrats generally do well in the central city of Salt Lake City and the immediate suburbs, as well as some rural, less Mormon parts of the state as well (Carbon, Grand, Summit counties).

[ElectionsGuy]

Wyoming - This state is pretty simple, it is the least populated state in the union with 3 electoral votes and around 570,000 people. This state in recent history has easily become the second safest state behind Utah, and it hasn't gone democratic since 1964, like Utah. There is some religious backing to it in the Southwestern part of the state (Uinta and Lincoln counties) but most of the state isn't particularly religious. Most of the states conservatism is shaped by the rural great plains/rocky mountains structure, the cowboy western culture, and its natural gas/oil/coal economy. The state is still pretty white, at 85%. Hispanic population is growing and it at 9.5% of the population right now, but it is not nearly close enough to send any danger message to Wyoming's republican party. Democrats generally only do good in Jackson/Teton County area and republicans generally do good anywhere else, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the state. 

[ElectionsGuy]

Idaho - This state has 4 electoral votes, and around 1.6 million people. While one of the more unpopulated states, it has always been uber republican. Like many other western states, it hasn't gone for a democrat since 1964, and even then then state was very close to electing Goldwater. In recent history, a republican generally scores >60% of the vote in most cases. The states Mormon presence has something to do with the states conservatism, most of the state is not Mormon. Southeastern Idaho is generally called an extension of Utah, and is the safest part of the state for republicans. The northern stick-up part of the state is more moderate and votes like Montana. And finally Boise, while the city leans democratic, it is surrounded by suburbs that vote safely republican. All in all the state is very conservative. It is 83% white, and the 12% of Hispanic population has yet to scare anybody about the states future. Democrats do good in the city of Boise, ski towns in Blaine County, as well as some areas in the Northern stick of the state. Republicans generally do good everywhere else, especially in the Mormon parts of the state and the suburbs of larger cities.

[ElectionsGuy]

Oklahoma - Oklahoma has 7 electoral votes, and around 3.8 million people. Oklahoma has voted republican in every election since 1964, and in recent history has claimed one of the most conservative states. The state is religious, and it is mostly protestant. The state is what I would consider part southern and part great plains. The eastern side is southern, and the western side is great plains. However its mostly protestant religious group makes it in most people's eyes a more southern state. Oklahoma has turned sharply right in recent years, emphasizing its opposition to Barack Obama, like many states around the area. Oklahoma is also one of the most consistently republican states all around the state, making it the only state to have a complete county sweep for republican in the last three elections in a row. While the urban centers are less republican than rural areas and suburbs, they have still been pretty supportive of the republican party. While the state is only 68% white, turnout issues with Hispanics (9%) and Native Americans (9%) has made the state safely republican because whites now go >70% for republicans. Democrats can only get there votes out in black and Native American parts of the state, while republicans consistently do good everywhere else, especially in the outer suburbs of Tulsa and Oklahoma City and the Northwestern great plains part of the state.

[ElectionsGuy]

Looks like I made an error, I mean to say the western side is great plains and the eastern side is southern.

Also why isn't Kansas Safe Republican?

[ElectionsGuy]

Looks like I made an error, I mean to say the western side is great plains and the eastern side is southern.

Also why isn't Kansas Safe Republican?

They missed my cut off by one point. Historically Kansas and Nebraska are probably the most Republican though.

Is this because Kansas wasn't as republican as Nebraska during the Bush elections? They practically were the same during the Obama elections. The margin of victory of Kansas matched the margin of victory in Nebraska (2008), and the margin of victory of Nebraska was 0.1% more republican than the margin of victory in Kansas (2012).