Why did Kentucky Democrats hold the state lower house until 2016?

[CookieDamage]

I was reading about how most Democratic Southern state legislatures fell to Republicans in 2010 and 2014, and I assumed Kentucky was among those states which fell to the Republican wave in those two years.

However I was pretty surprised to find out KY Dems held onto the state lower house until 2016! Outlasting West Virginia and many deep Southern states.

Of course when Republicans won two years ago they won big, claiming super-majorities in the state house.

However, I have to ask why didn't Republicans win big in 2010 or 2014? Why were they "late to the party" and only take down the Dems in 2016? Was it a result of Trump being a great fit for Kentucky and Hillary being a horrible one?

[Zaybay]

The map used in KY is actually a kinda D gerrymander, and gives them more seats, so there is that. But KY also just seems to have more elastic voters, perhaps from its D history.

[Mr.Phips]

Really weird state locally.  Even in 2018, Democrats actually picked up a couple of seats that voted nearly 80% for Trump.

[Politician]

Really weird state locally.  Even in 2018, Democrats actually picked up a couple of seats that voted nearly 80% for Trump.

And yet people actually say Bevin is safe in 2019, lol.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The coal crescent is conservative leaning, but Trump has not luved up to expectations will trimming the fat out of govt and building wall; thus allowing coal crescent to flip again, in some parts back Dem

[TML]

Remember that Democrats still have a plurality of registered voters in this state, and in some counties in the east that percentage exceeds 80%. Many of these people continue to vote Democratic down ballot.

[lfromnj]

Remember that Democrats still have a plurality of registered voters in this state, and in some counties in the east that percentage exceeds 80%. Many of these people continue to vote Democratic down ballot.

yeah but why kentucky
Why not WV or parts of TN?
Why did KT dems survive until 2016?

[Zaybay]

Remember that Democrats still have a plurality of registered voters in this state, and in some counties in the east that percentage exceeds 80%. Many of these people continue to vote Democratic down ballot.

yeah but why kentucky
Why not WV or parts of TN?
Why did KT dems survive until 2016?

Well the WV Dems still survived, and still have some influence, I mean, look at the state legislature composition.

[Badger]

Remember that Democrats still have a plurality of registered voters in this state, and in some counties in the east that percentage exceeds 80%. Many of these people continue to vote Democratic down ballot.

yeah but why kentucky
Why not WV or parts of TN?
Why did KT dems survive until 2016?

Also, reasons that go back to the Civil War, West Tennessee remained relatively Republican through the New Deal as they were not as heavily unionized by the Coal Miner's as most of Kentucky and West Virginia.

[Intell]

Unions.