Zapata County, Texas

[soniquemd21921]

I don't know much about this predominantly Mexican county, except that in 1908 and 1912 it was the most Republican county in the nation - in 1908 Bryan got only 2 votes here. But it soon became overwhelmingly Democratic and hasn't voted Republican since 1920.

There must have been some local boss here that influenced this county's voting patterns, similar to that Louisiana parish (Plaquemines) that was 94% Thurmond in 1948 and 93% Eisenhower in 1952.

[jimrtex]

I don't know much about this predominantly Mexican county, except that in 1908 and 1912 it was the most Republican county in the nation - in 1908 Bryan got only 2 votes here. But it soon became overwhelmingly Democratic and hasn't voted Republican since 1920.

There must have been some local boss here that influenced this county's voting patterns, similar to that Louisiana parish (Plaquemines) that was 94% Thurmond in 1948 and 93% Eisenhower in 1952.

Red and Blues (Colorados y Azules)

Texas used to permit aliens who "intended" to become citizens to vote.   Voters would be recruited, their poll taxes paid, and ensured that they would vote.

In 2004, Zapata County was a center of controversy in the Henry Cuellar-Ciro Rodriguez primary.

Incumbent likens recount to vote fraud that aided LBJ

[Indy Texas]

Small populations can result in extreme and erratic voting outcomes. Also, the border towns (especially Laredo and El Paso) attracted a lot of transient Yankees during the Wild West/frontier days. Might explain why Republicans tended to overperform in the southwestern/western part of the state during that period.