Talk Elections

Arden Hills Precinct 3 is home to Bethel University, a Baptist university (not Southern Baptist but still Baptist), quite conservative for the most part (somewhat ironically the only alumni in the Minnesota legislature is a Democrat, but he's also black), there is though a liberal faction among the students, there's an underground Gay-Straight Alliance, the lead pastor of my progressive church plant group is an alumni, one of the associates is currently enrolled and my church's worship leader is also an alumni. This shows in the 2008 vote:

McCain 59.40%
Obama 38.96%

That's about a five-point swing to Obama from 2004 I should note. But for point of comparison here is uber-wealthy North Oaks which is also in Ramsey County:

McCain 55.56%
Obama 43.21%

But here's where I found the fun stuff in 2010. First compare the gubernatorial race:

ARDEN HILLS P-3
Independence    TOM HORNER AND JAMES A. MULDER    167   13.70   
Republican    TOM EMMER AND ANNETTE T. MEEKS    693   56.85   
Democratic-Farmer-Labor    MARK DAYTON AND YVONNE PRETTNER SOLON    354   29.04

NORTH OAKS P-1
Independence    TOM HORNER AND JAMES A. MULDER    237   16.60   
Republican    TOM EMMER AND ANNETTE T. MEEKS    797   55.81   
Democratic-Farmer-Labor    MARK DAYTON AND YVONNE PRETTNER SOLON    390   27.31

NORTH OAKS P-2
Independence    TOM HORNER AND JAMES A. MULDER    167   13.70   
Republican    TOM EMMER AND ANNETTE T. MEEKS    693   56.85   
Democratic-Farmer-Labor    MARK DAYTON AND YVONNE PRETTNER SOLON    354   29.04

So, actually pretty similar. Well then let's switch to a technically non-partisan but with both parties having clear candidates race, Sheriff. Bob Fletcher was a Republican but had been elected for 16 years due to the race technically being non-partisan, the Democratic-backed candidate almost took him down in 2010. In 2008 he came under massive criticism for pretty draconian tactics used during the RNC and then in 2010:

Nonpartisan    MATT BOSTROM    93544   56.99   
Nonpartisan    BOB FLETCHER    69958   42.62   
Write-In    WRITE-IN**    628   0.38

So how did this translate in said precincts?

ARDEN HILLS P-3
Nonpartisan    MATT BOSTROM    536   59.56   
Nonpartisan    BOB FLETCHER    359   39.89   
Write-In    WRITE-IN**    5   0.56

NORTH OAKS P-1
Nonpartisan    MATT BOSTROM    570   46.27   
Nonpartisan    BOB FLETCHER    662   53.73   
Write-In    WRITE-IN**    0   0.00

NORTH OAKS P-2
Nonpartisan    MATT BOSTROM    490   40.83   
Nonpartisan    BOB FLETCHER    709   59.08   
Write-In    WRITE-IN**    1   0.08

And just a random point of comparison:

ST. PAUL W-3 P-05
Independence    TOM HORNER AND JAMES A. MULDER    190   11.43   
Republican    TOM EMMER AND ANNETTE T. MEEKS    500   30.08   
Democratic-Farmer-Labor    MARK DAYTON AND YVONNE PRETTNER SOLON    961   57.82

Nonpartisan    MATT BOSTROM    746   55.71   
Nonpartisan    BOB FLETCHER    591   44.14   
Write-In    WRITE-IN**    2   0.15

ST. PAUL W-7 P-10
Independence    TOM HORNER AND JAMES A. MULDER    78   10.24   
Republican    TOM EMMER AND ANNETTE T. MEEKS    248   32.55   
Democratic-Farmer-Labor    MARK DAYTON AND YVONNE PRETTNER SOLON    427   56.04

Nonpartisan    MATT BOSTROM    344   51.57   
Nonpartisan    BOB FLETCHER    320   47.98   
Write-In    WRITE-IN**    3   0.45

So young evangelicals are socially conservative but don't like draconian "law and order" assholes and suburbanites and residential urbanites vote for Democrats but are more open to that. Kind of makes sense. :P

Oh and the most best performing Democrat in Arden Hills P-3 is the State Rep who is both an evangelical (though liberal and supportive of gay marriage) and at the time of the last election under 30...which also makes sense. I'm actually very interested in seeing how many will vote against the gay marriage amendment there...

As an aside, Bethel is the the alma mater of Congressman Hultgren (IL-14).

Most wealthy subrbanites vote Democrat because of social issues.

Depends on what you mean by it. There's a difference, for instance, between the Dallas suburbs and the Los Angeles suburbs.