The overall state matters far more than the local area for determining what your government is going to be like. Colorado Springs cannot make abortion illegal for its residents; Colorado can. Colorado Springs cannot ignore the state’s laws on minimum wages, or LGBTQ rights, or any myriad other laws.
It’s why I, as a progressive, would have no interest in living in Austin Texas: as left-leaning as Austin is, the state of Texas plays a bigger part in that governance and would make it an undesirable place for me to live.
Incidentally, Colorado Springs has been moving left. It has a non-republican independent mayor now, and the democratic governor even won the city in his reelection campaign (still lost the county, but came close). Trump won the county by 10% in 2020, after winning it by 20% in 2016. Likewise, Romney and McCain won it by 20%; Bush Jr. won it by 30% and 34%. In 1988 Bush Sr. won it by 40%. I expect the city-only results are even closer at the presidential level but cannot find data for that quickly.
As stated here, the Springs are moving left. It’s Weld county that appears to be the new Conservative bastion here, but even that is starting to weaken.
It’s not the solid red base it once was. The GOP lost the mayor’s office by a large percentage to an independent. It’s a purple city due to so many people moving down from Denver.
Colorado Springs is conservative Colorado, though.
The overall state matters far more than the local area for determining what your government is going to be like. Colorado Springs cannot make abortion illegal for its residents; Colorado can. Colorado Springs cannot ignore the state’s laws on minimum wages, or LGBTQ rights, or any myriad other laws.
It’s why I, as a progressive, would have no interest in living in Austin Texas: as left-leaning as Austin is, the state of Texas plays a bigger part in that governance and would make it an undesirable place for me to live.
Incidentally, Colorado Springs has been moving left. It has a non-republican independent mayor now, and the democratic governor even won the city in his reelection campaign (still lost the county, but came close). Trump won the county by 10% in 2020, after winning it by 20% in 2016. Likewise, Romney and McCain won it by 20%; Bush Jr. won it by 30% and 34%. In 1988 Bush Sr. won it by 40%. I expect the city-only results are even closer at the presidential level but cannot find data for that quickly.
As stated here, the Springs are moving left. It’s Weld county that appears to be the new Conservative bastion here, but even that is starting to weaken.
It’s not the solid red base it once was. The GOP lost the mayor’s office by a large percentage to an independent. It’s a purple city due to so many people moving down from Denver.
A ton of the contractors and civilians that work there don’t live in the springs though.