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Political outreach can be an uphill battle.
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outreach → log → ?
But for Democrats trying to make inroads in Roberts County, Texas, it can feel more like a full-bore sprint into a brick wall.
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it → try → wall
This rural patch of the Texas Panhandle has long been described as America’s most pro-Trump county with more than 94 percent of its voters backing Donald Trump in each of the past three presidential elections.
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percent → describe → elections
By contrast, the county’s Kamala Harris voters could all fit comfortably on a school bus.
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voters → fit → bus
This year’s Democratic primary voters could share an Uber.
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voters → share → Uber
“We just haven't been able to get any traction there,” Sean Birkenfeld, president of Panhandle Democrats, a regional political action committee, told The Independent.
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Birkenfeld → get → Independent
In interviews, Democrats described the Sisyphean task of gaining a foothold in Roberts County where Fox News plays in local businesses, Trump signs dot lawns and the party of Franklin Roosevelt has spent decades in hibernation.
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party → describe → hibernation
Some suspect there are actually more Democrats than election returns suggest but that they remain “closeted,” reluctant to advertise their politics for fear of backlash.
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they → suspect → backlash
How Roberts County became Trump country
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County → become → ?
Roberts County, located about 80 miles northwest of Amarillo, is home to roughly 870 people.
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County → locate → people
Its economy revolves around agribusiness and oil, and it is one of just three Texas counties that still prohibits alcohol sales.
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that → revolve → sales
Its only city is Miami, pronounced “My-am-uh.”
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city → pronounce → -
The county earned its reputation as Trump’s most loyal in 2016, when he won 94.58 percent of its votes — the highest Republican vote share of any county in that election.
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he → earn → election
Its support has remained remarkably consistent: Trump took 96.18 percent of the vote in 2020 and 95.63 percent in 2024.
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Trump → remain → 2024
For some residents, Trump represented a promise that people like them would not be overlooked.
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people → represent → them
“I feel like Trump has my back, I hope he doesn't prove me wrong,” local resident John Faith told a news outlet in 2016.
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Faith → feel → 2016
Another resident, Steve Porter, emphasized strength, immigration and jobs in an interview with ABC News in 2018.
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resident → emphasize → 2018
“I realized that we needed a president who believed America was great.
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America → realize → president
Greater than all other countries,” he said.
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he → say → countries
Trying to gain a foothold
Democrats hoping to establish a presence in the county have had their work cut out for them.
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work → try → them
This year’s Democratic primary drew just three voters, while the GOP’s drew 306.
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GOP → draw → 306
Mark Nair, the Democratic nominee for Texas’ 13th congressional district, which encompasses the county, said he has visited Roberts County several times.
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he → encompass → county
Drawing a crowd has proved difficult.
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Drawing → draw → crowd
“Seriously, it's like two people that would come,” he told The Independent.
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he → come → Independent
Birkenfeld’s attempt to organize an event in Roberts County, meanwhile, never reached the point of counting attendees.
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attempt → organize → attendees
He contacted people about setting something up, he said, but the plans fell through.
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plans → contact → something
“I haven't actually been able to get any engagement,” the political organizer said.
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organizer → get → engagement
The position is vacant, Birkenfeld said, leaving the party without local leadership.
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Birkenfeld → say → leadership
For Nair, the difficulty is not a lack of warmth from the people he meets.
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he → meet → people
“They're very, very nice people who believe in their community and their family.
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who → believe → community
They really do,” Nair said.
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Nair → do → ?
“But when it turns to politics, it's almost like you're trying to crack this tough nut.”
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you → turn → nut
He added: “And I can make arguments all day long, but it's difficult because they're kind of stuck into this way of thinking that Trump might do something great for them.
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Trump → add → them
It's confusing to me because I don't see the evidence of that.”
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I → see → that
For now, some of the work of building a Democratic presence is considerably less ambitious than changing anyone’s mind.
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some → build → mind
The Roberts County Texas Democrats Facebook group is administered by Bonny Krahn, who lives hundreds of miles away in rural Hays County.
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who → administer → County
She created county-specific groups across Texas to provide a starting point where Democratic organizations were absent or struggling, with the intention of handing them over as local chairs emerged.
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chairs → create → them
Posts in the group cover the essentials.
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Posts → cover → essentials
This is who's on your ballot,” she said, describing the information she shares.
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she → say → information
The Roberts County group currently has 19 members.
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group → have → members
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
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