Appalachia, VA boasts a rich political history. Local politics are often informed by the unique culture of the area; many citizens work hard to ensure that their voices are heard at all levels of government. Recently, environmental concerns have become priority issues for local voters, as they seek to protect the area’s fragile ecosystem and preserve its natural beauty. There has also been increased attention placed on education, healthcare, and economic development in Appalachia. These topics have been thrust into the spotlight for candidates seeking election or re-election, as voters demand transparency and progress from their representatives. With a strong sense of community identity and fierce commitment to positive change, Appalachia is an example of small-town politics at its best.
The political climate in Appalachia, VA is moderately conservative.
Wise County, VA is very conservative. In Wise County, VA 18.7% of the people voted Democrat in the last presidential election, 80.4% voted for the Republican Party, and the remaining 0.8% voted Independent.
In the last Presidential election, Wise county remained overwhelmingly Republican, 80.4% to 18.7%.
Wise county voted Republican in every Presidential election since 2000.
The BestPlaces liberal/conservative index
Appalachia, VA is moderately conservative.
Wise County, Virginia is very conservative.
Big Stone Gap Metro Area is very conservative.
Virginia is somewhat liberal.
The BestPlaces liberal/conservative index is based on recent voting in national elections, federal campaign contributions by local residents, and consumer personality profiles.
VoteWord™
Displaying 20 years of Presidential voting, visualized in one word.
Appalachia, Virginia: r R R R R R
How It Works:
Here at BestPlaces, we were looking at the voting patterns since the 2000 election and realized that we could express the results of each election as one letter. R if the Republican Party candidate won, D if the Democratic Party candidate won and I if the Independent Party candidate won. The six elections (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) would be expressed as six-letter word (R R D R R).
Then we went a little further and added the dimension of magnitude. If the difference of victory was greater than 10 percent, the letter is upper case, and lower case if the difference was less than 10 percent. This allows us to see interesting voting patterns at just a glance.
Here's the VoteWord for Iowa d r d d r. In the last six elections the state has been closely contested, voting narrowly for the Republican Party candidate in 2016 and 2020 after voting for the Democratic Party in 2008 and 2012. Virginia (r r d d d D) has voted for the Democratic Party in the last three elections.
Individual Campaign Contributions in Appalachia, VA
In the last 4 years (2018-2021), there were 24 contributions totaling $1,175 to the Democratic Party and liberal campaigns, averaging $49 per contribution.
In the last 4 years, there were 0 contributions totaling $0 to the Republican Party and conservative campaigns, averaging $0 per contribution.
(source: Federal Election Commission)