Changes

==Government==

==Government==

Local government in Cape Girardeau County is provided by the elected officials. Traditionally, these have been dominated by the [[Republican]] Party, which at present holds all the elected positions.

Local government in Cape Girardeau County is provided by the elected officials. Traditionally, these have been dominated by the [[Republican]] Party, which at present holds all the elected positions.<ref>https://www.capecounty.us/County%20Officials.aspx</ref>

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

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| Commissioner (District 2) || Charles Herbst || Republican

| Commissioner (District 2) || Charles Herbst || Republican

|-

|-

| Coroner || John Clifton || Republican

| Coroner || Wavis Jordan || Republican

|-

|-

| Prosecuting Attorney || Mark Welker || Republican

| Prosecuting Attorney || Mark Welker || Republican

|}

|}

At the state level, Cape Girardeau County makes up two separate legislative districts for the Missouri House of Representatives. Most of the county outside of the city of Cape Girardeau, including Jackson and the areas to the north and west, is part of the 146th District. It is currently represented by Barry Hovis (R-Whitewater), who was elected to his first term in November 2018, defeating Democrat Gayla A. Dace.

At the state level, Cape Girardeau County makes up two separate legislative districts for the Missouri House of Representatives. Most of the county outside of the city of Cape Girardeau, including Jackson and the areas to the north and west, is part of the 146th District. It is currently represented by Barry Hovis (R-Whitewater), who was elected to his second term in November 2020 without opposition.

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

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! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! Vote Percentage

! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! Vote Percentage

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| Barry Hovis || Republican || 15,289 || 81.891%

| Wayne Wallingford || Republican || 10,167 || 63.141%

|-

|-

| Gayla A. Dace || Democratic || 3,381 || 18.109%

| Andy Leighton || Democratic || 5,935 || 36.859%

|}

|}

The city of Cape Girardeau, as well as some rural areas to the southwest, comprises the 147th District. It is currently represented by Kathryn "Kathy" Swan (R-Cape Girardeau), who was elected to her fourth and final term in November 2018, defeating Democrat Renita Green.

In the Missouri State Senate, Cape Girardeau County is part of the 27th District, which also includes Bollinger, Madison, Perry, Scott, and Wayne Counties. It is currently represented by Holly Rehder (R-[[Sikeston, Missouri|Sikeston]]), who was elected to her first term in November 2020, defeating Democrat Donnie Owens.

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

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! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! Vote Percentage

! Candidate !! Party !! Votes !! Vote Percentage

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| Kathryn Swan || Republican || 8,616 || 64.777%

| Holly Rehder || Republican || 63,644 || 76.884%

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|-

| Renita Green || Democratic || 4,685 || 35.223%

| Donnie Owens || Democratic || 19,135 || 23.116%

|}

|}

Rehder slightly underperformed in Cape Girardeau County, winning 28,941 votes to 10,391 for Owens.

 

Wallingford slightly overperformed in Cape Girardeau County, winning 27,062 votes to 8,739 for Owens.

At the federal level, Cape Girardeau County is part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District, which includes most of southeast and south-central Missouri. It is represented by Jason Smith (R-Salem), who won re-election in November 2018, defeating Democrat Kathy Ellis.

At the federal level, Cape Girardeau County is part of Missouri's 8th Congressional District, which includes most of southeast and south-central Missouri. It is represented by Jason Smith (R-[[Salem, Missouri|Salem]]), who won re-election in November 2020, defeating Democrat Kathy Ellis.

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

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| Kathy Ellis || Democratic || 66,151 || 25.019%

| Kathy Ellis || Democratic || 66,151 || 25.019%

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| Jonathan Shell || Libertarian || 4,206 || 1.591%

| Tom Schmitz || Libertarian || 4,206 || 1.591%

|}

|}

Smith slightly overperformed his average margin in Cape Girardeau County, winning 74.413% of the vote.<ref>https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default</ref>

Smith roughly matched his average margin in Cape Girardeau County, winning 72.929% of the vote.<ref>https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/s_default</ref>

'''Political Culture'''

'''Political Culture'''

As the above numbers indicate, Cape Girardeau County is solidly Republican at the state and federal level, and is in fact known as a traditional base of support for the Missouri GOP. It has not voted for a [[Democrat]] for president since 1964, or for governor since 1968. Generally speaking, the Republicans are strongest in the northern and northwestern regions, where the population is predominantly [[Protestant]] German-American and historically Republican, and weakest in portions of the city of Cape Girardeau with a lower-class and sometimes heavily African-American population.<ref>https://www.capecountyelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/November-8-2016-Ballot-and-Results.pdf</ref> The Cape Girardeau area has also produced many well-known [[conservative]] leaders, including former Missouri lieutenant governor Peter Kinder, radio host [[Rush Limbaugh]], and his brother, author [[David Limbaugh]]. In the 2016 general election, the county overwhelmingly supported [[Donald Trump]], who won 72.94% of the vote.<ref>https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/CountyResults.aspx</ref>

As the above numbers indicate, Cape Girardeau County is solidly Republican at the state and federal level, and is in fact known as a traditional base of support for the Missouri GOP. It has not voted for a [[Democrat]] for president since 1964, or for governor since 1968. Generally speaking, the Republicans are strongest in the northern and northwestern regions, where the population is predominantly [[Protestant]] German-American and historically Republican, and weakest in portions of the city of Cape Girardeau with a lower-class and sometimes heavily African-American population.<ref>https://www.capecountyelections.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/November-8-2016-Ballot-and-Results.pdf</ref> The Cape Girardeau area has also produced many well-known [[conservative]] leaders, including former Missouri lieutenant governor Peter Kinder, radio host [[Rush Limbaugh]], and his brother, author [[David Limbaugh]]. In the 2016 general election, the county overwhelmingly supported [[Donald Trump]], who won 72.94% of the vote; he won 71.51% of the vote in the 2020 general election.<ref>https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/CountyResults.aspx</ref>

Like much of southern Missouri, Cape Girardeau County can be included within the [[Bible Belt]], and tends to combine social [[conservatism]] with economic [[populism]]. In 2004, it voted overwhelmingly in favor of Constitutional Amendment 2, which recognized marriage as between a man and a woman only—the measure passed in Cape Girardeau County with 83.19% support. In 2006, while the state overall narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county decisively defeated the measure with 63.12% voting against. At the same time, it frequently supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class--though this happens less frequently than elsewhere in Southeast Missouri, possibly because of its longer tradition of identifying with the Republican Party. In the November 2018 election, the county rejected a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 51.48% voting against (though it passed the state at large). These results mark Cape Girardeau County as one of the state's most reliably conservative regions.

Like much of southern Missouri, Cape Girardeau County can be included within the [[Bible Belt]], and tends to combine social [[conservatism]] with economic [[populism]]. In 2004, it voted overwhelmingly in favor of Constitutional Amendment 2, which recognized marriage as between a man and a woman only—the measure passed in Cape Girardeau County with 83.19% support. In 2006, while the state overall narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county decisively defeated the measure with 63.12% voting against. At the same time, it frequently supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class--though this happens less frequently than elsewhere in Southeast Missouri, possibly because of its longer tradition of identifying with the Republican Party. In the November 2018 election, the county rejected a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 51.48% voting against (though it passed the state at large). These results mark Cape Girardeau County as one of the state's most reliably conservative regions.