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.
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...
