Many see Athens as a Democratic stronghold, but the county was once as entrenched in the red as it now is in the blue.
In the first half of the past century, Athens County voted Republican about 86 percent of the time. Then, in 1964, the county flipped completely — voting for Democrats to take the Oval Office 83 percent of the time since then.
Paul Leonard, a political science professor at Wright State University and former lieutenant governor of Ohio, said the shift was based on a major change in student voting.
“A lot of kids started registering (to vote) where they went to college instead of doing it in their hometowns, and this influenced the change for sure,” said Leonard, who graduated from Ohio University in 1965. “Historically, (Athens County) was a Republican community.”
President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Athens to rally support from Democratic constituents was strategic, as no Democratic presidential candidate has won a term without winning Athens County since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney might have decided to bypass Athens County based on the area’s history — a GOP candidate has only won Athens County twice in the past 50 years, the most recent being Ronald Reagan’s victory in 1984.
The most hotly contested elections in Athens County’s history were those in which a Republican was a heavy favorite, but the county still supported the Democratic platform, said Ron Luce, executive director of the Athens County Historical Society & Museum.
“The Republican party changed over the years, going further and further to the right and losing some support around here,” Luce said. “Once the mining and factory jobs started dying, more liberal ideas took over.”
Gifford Doxsee, a former OU history professor and a founding member of the Athens County Historical Society, remembers a time when Athens voted heavily Republican.
“I remember that Athens in the mid-50s was solidly Republican,” Doxsee said. “I would say that it was some time either in the ’70s or ’80s where there was a gradual shift.”
Southeast Ohio happens to be highly conservative as a whole, particularly in the rural areas, Leonard said.
“I did notice that Athens is one of those towns that Democrats like to stop at since they always are able to pick up some votes,” Leonard said. “What makes it important is that it’s the one town in Southeast Ohio where Democrats can pick up votes.”
as299810@ohiou.edu
