Democratic Organizers Seek Foothold in Heavily Republican Roberts County, Texas

Democratic Party organizers in the Texas Panhandle are attempting to establish a local presence in Roberts County, where Donald Trump received more than 94 percent of the vote in three consecutive presidential elections. In the most recent Democratic primary, three residents cast ballots compared to 306 in the Republican primary.

Roberts County is home to approximately 870 residents and its economy is centered on agribusiness and oil. It is one of three remaining Texas counties that prohibits the sale of alcohol. In 2016, Trump received 94.58 percent of the local vote; that share was 96.18 percent in 2020 and 95.63 percent in 2024. Local residents interviewed in 2016 and 2018 cited Trump’s stance on immigration, jobs, and national strength as reasons for their support.

Organizers such as Sean Birkenfeld, president of the regional political action committee Panhandle Democrats, report difficulty engaging the community. The county currently lacks a Democratic chair, and Birkenfeld said efforts to organize an event fell through due to a lack of engagement. Mark Nair, the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 13th congressional district, noted that while residents are polite, it is difficult to change political allegiances. Some organizers suggest that Democratic supporters in the area may be "closeted," or reluctant to publicly share their views due to fear of social backlash.

The scale of political lopsidedness is significant: with only three Democratic primary voters out of a population of roughly 870, the party's active local engagement represents less than 0.4 percent of the population. Organizers suggest this lack of infrastructure can influence broader state politics by limiting grassroots campaigning. In Texas, recent UMass Lowell/YouGov polling shows a U.S. Senate race between James Talarico (D) and Ken Paxton (R) tied at 45 percent.

The day-to-day reality for voters in Roberts County includes a lack of local Democratic Party offices or staffed events. Residents who do support the minority party have reported experiencing stolen yard signs or verbal hostility in the broader Panhandle region. The current statewide focus remains on the competitive Senate race, while local organizers like Bonny Krahn continue managing Facebook groups for underrepresented counties in hopes of eventually handing leadership to local residents.