how is Arkansas still red in a blue wave?

Serious question, not trying to start a fight. Everything nationally swung one way last night and Arkansas looks the same as always. Fayetteville went blue like usual but that's one town. Is it turnout, the district lines, or do local races just not follow the national trend?

I've voted in Washington County a lot of years and it's mostly turnout plus plain math. Fayetteville and the Hill turn out big and go blue, but Benton County just north is bigger and red, and once you get out past Springdale and into the rural counties the margins pile up the other way. Our blue doesn't add up to much statewide.

Lots of local races here also never get a real challenger on the ballot, so those voters never see a contest that tracks the national mood. A national swing can be real and still not move Arkansas much.

Check the county-by-county numbers on the Secretary of State's site once they're certified, it's a lot clearer than any of us guessing. Hope this helps

Okay, the Benton County part is what I was missing. I always think of us as the big one up here. I'll check the county numbers once they certify. Still bugs me how many races have nobody even running.

yeah the no-challenger thing bugs me too. in a lot of those races the filing deadline passes and that's basically the election. midterm turnout around the Hill also drops compared to a presidential year, so even our blue is thinner than it looks on the map.

and like Brenda said, we're stuck sharing a congressional district with Benton County, so it's the same math there. if it really bugs people, run for something small. quorum court and school board seats go uncontested all the time.

Blue wave. Hm. I talked to about forty people in Farmington this week and not one of them saw a wave. National news says wave, I say go ask your neighbors.

"our blue doesn't add up" is kind of a lazy answer though. Brenda's math is right, but those lines didn't draw themselves, somebody chose them. Both things are true.

Chose them who, Natalie? Every state redraws and whoever's in charge draws for themselves, both parties, wherever they can. If you want to be mad at lines be mad at all of them. And be honest, do you know who your state rep is without Googling?

I know who my state rep is, Denise, I emailed them twice about a school thing. And the real answer is "nobody on the ballot." Half those races were over at the filing deadline. The loudest people in threads like this one skipped the quorum court primary too, and I'd put money on it.

I VOTED. EARLY. I'M NOT TAKING A LECTURE ON TURNOUT FROM ANYBODY WHO STAYED HOME AND THEN CAME HERE TO BE MAD ABOUT IT.

I started this to learn something and it turned into everybody's report card. Appreciate the numbers. I'll pull the certified counts after the 13th. "Run for something small" is the only advice in here that actually changes anything.