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Rock County favors Democrats, but Walworth County is Republican territory

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Photo by Tony DiNicola

How Rock and Walworth counties voted in the 2004 presidential election

JANESVILLE — When Ted Kinnaman moved here in 1968, Republicans held every elected office in Rock County.

But America was in the middle of the unpopular Vietnam War. And Democratic presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota ran on an antiwar platform.

McCarthy didn’t win the nomination, but his candidacy might have changed Rock County’s political landscape for years to come, Kinnaman said. He inspired local Democrats, beginning a countywide shift to the left.

“It just brought a lot of new people into the Democratic Party, and more importantly, into Democratic politics,” the 79-year-old longtime Janesville Democrat said. “I don’t think the (Democratic) Party has ever had the membership it had during the McCarthy years.”

While Rock County has slowly turned liberal in recent decades, Walworth County has always been a Republican stronghold.

Rock County voters chose Democratic candidates in the past two presidential elections, but Walworth County voters have consistently sided with Republicans.

“Walworth County, I think since the time of Christ, has been Republican,” said John Kozlowicz, UW-Whitewater political science professor.

Rock County

Rock County was Republican territory in the late 1960s, Kinnaman said, recalling a time when a neighbor whispered to him, “I’m a Democrat,” as if it was something to hide.

“In general, the country has just shifted in a more liberal direction in the last 40 years,” Kinnaman said.

Former Rock County Republican Chair John Lader said the county continued its slide to the left in the 1980s.

“The courthouse used to be dominated by Republicans, and now it’s dominated by Democrats,” Lader said. “If you had two people with the same abilities, I would say the Democrat would have a slight advantage.”

The growth of the Democratic Party got a boost when the United Auto Workers became more persuasive in elections, Kinnaman said. Other labor unions also became more powerful.

“That’s been a strong element,” he said. “They have had many strong leaders.”

Then Democrats won key county and state races, rallying the party and getting stronger candidates to run for offices.

UW-Rock County and Beloit College students got engaged in campaigns, growing the liberal voice.

Suddenly, it became more respectable to be a Democrat.

Residents in the county’s largest cities, Janesville and Beloit, also lean left, Kozlowicz said. The cities help paint the county blue, even though people in outlying areas are more conservative.

Republicans can’t pinpoint a single event or candidate that turned the county blue.

“I think part of that is Rock County is considered blue collar, and I think a lot of those people tend to vote Democrat,” Lader said.

But the GOP is still strong, he said.

The party has a strong base of business owners, churchgoers, independent thinkers and proponents of smaller government, Lader said. It also has a solid organization.

This year’s presidential election might be close, he said, and don’t be surprised if McCain takes Rock County.

Walworth County

Residents in Walworth County have always sided with the GOP.

Republican candidates continue to win in county, state and federal races, said Kozlowicz, who can’t recall a Democratic candidate winning there in years.

“In most elections, the Democrats don’t even run a candidate because they can’t recruit someone to run,” Kozlowicz said.

“The area has been so strong and so Republican for so long. They just have a good organization.”

The reason the county is conservative is likely its rural, small-town nature, he said. Most agricultural areas in the Midwest are conservative, while larger cities remain liberal.

Norm Aulabaugh of Orfordville ran for Congress in 2004. He unsuccessfully ran as an independent against Janesville’s Republican Rep. Paul Ryan.

Walworth County’s Republican residents continue to put Ryan in office, despite Rock County’s favor of Democratic candidates, Aulabaugh said.

Democrat Doug Harrod is challenging Republican incumbent Thomas Lothian for his seat in the 32nd Assembly District, with includes almost all of southern Walworth County. He knows he has his work cut out for him.

“It’s a futile thing to be a Democrat in Walworth County, and it’s even more futile to be a Democratic candidate running for office,” Harrod said.

Democrats are trying to get candidates on every ticket in Walworth County, but it’s difficult to win.

“We still haven’t made much headway in the county offices,” Harrod said.

But presidential candidate Barack Obama has energized Democrats in Walworth County, he said, and the party could have a bright future.

“The organization is getting much stronger and more active,” Harrod said. “I think that’s making a difference.”

And the high-growth county is changing with new residents and a growing Latino population.

“There’s so many people coming into the area, and they have such diverse opinions,” Harrod said.