Johnson and Martin Counties, KY

[Shilly]

Apologies if this has been asked before; nothing turned up in search, but does anyone have an explanation why these two counties are so Republican compared to their surroundings.

[RBH]

I'm finding some Civil War-related stuff for Johnson County and Martin County didn't exist for awhile after the Civil War. Also gotta wonder about the unionization or lack of amongst local coal there

[minionofmidas]

Seeing as the East Kentucky Democratic (or historically Democratic... Harlan County voted over 70% for John McCain. Crikey) areas used to be Republican too before the New Deal, and Johnson County certainly is a part of the coalfield... it does seem strange. Their current politics don't, but their 60s-80s (and before, presumably) politics sure do. Al?

It's a Regular Baptist area, of course. But if they were like their even less worldly cousins the Old Regular Baptists, one would expect hardline Republicanism to be a recent phenomenon.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Al?

Not entirely sure. Most of Martin is very remote, but that's not really true (by Central Appalachian standards) of Johnson. I've always suspected that unionisation patterns probably come into it, perhaps early twentieth century immigration patterns as well. Suppose its also possible that the coal industry declined in Johnson before the rest of the area (I think it developed quite early), though I can't remember at the moment.

Time to link to an older thread for the sheer hell of it: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=106465.0

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I don't think Johnson and Martin are as unionized as the nearby counties. Plus, there's more right-wing types there.

[minionofmidas]

Ah, but that shifts the emphasis to: Why did unionization fail in Johnson and Martin Counties in the 1930s?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Ah, but that shifts the emphasis to: Why did unionization fail in Johnson and Martin Counties in the 1930s?

Well, sheer geography might explain Martin (as it does, for example, Upshur county in WV). As for Johnson, I wonder whether there might be any statistics on coal production year-by-year (or even decade-by-decade) on the internets. Probably not, alas.

[minionofmidas]

It certainly still was working mining country in the era (though I don't know about relative decline). I know that because I know Loretta Lynn is from Johnson County, and her father was a coalminer, you see.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It certainly still was working mining country in the era (though I don't know about relative decline). I know that because I know Loretta Lynn is from Johnson County, and her father was a coalminer, you see.

Haha, yes, I knew that as well

I was just wondering whether the industry might have been scaled down earlier, with a move away from larger mines or something. Probably not, but worth a thought.