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As the above numbers indicate, Phelps County is generally a very strongly Republican-leaning county, though this is moderated somewhat by the presence of a large college with [[liberal]] leanings. Though it frequently supported the Democratic candidate in presidential elections in the early and mid-20th century, it has done so only three times in the past sixty years: in 1964, 1976, and 1992. Since 2004, it has never given the GOP candidate less than 60% of the vote. In 2016, [[Donald Trump]] won the county decisively with 68.50% of the vote, increasing his total to 68.89% in the 2020 election.<ref>https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/CountyResults.aspx</ref>

As the above numbers indicate, Phelps County is generally a very strongly Republican-leaning county, though this is moderated somewhat by the presence of a large college with [[liberal]] leanings. Though it frequently supported the Democratic candidate in presidential elections in the early and mid-20th century, it has done so only three times in the past sixty years: in 1964, 1976, and 1992. Since 2004, it has never given the GOP candidate less than 60% of the vote. In 2016, [[Donald Trump]] won the county decisively with 68.50% of the vote, increasing his total to 68.89% in the 2020 election.<ref>https://enrarchives.sos.mo.gov/enrnet/CountyResults.aspx</ref>

   

   

Like much of southern Missouri, Phelps County can be included within the [[Bible Belt]], combining 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 Texas County with 77.94% support. In 2006, while the state narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county narrowly defeated the measure with 52.25% voting against. At the same time, it often supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class. In the November 2006 election, the county, like the state, supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 69.42% voting in favor; in November 2018, a similar measure (which passed the state at large) received 53.30% of the vote. These results generally align with the rest of southern Missouri.

Like much of southern Missouri, Phelps County can be included within the [[Bible Belt]], combining 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 Phelps County with 77.94% support. In 2006, while the state narrowly passed an amendment to fund embryonic stem-cell research, the county narrowly defeated the measure with 52.25% voting against. At the same time, it often supports economic measures that appear to favor the working and middle class. In the November 2006 election, the county, like the state, supported a proposed increase in the state minimum wage, with 69.42% voting in favor; in November 2018, a similar measure (which passed the state at large) received 53.30% of the vote. These results generally align with the rest of southern Missouri.

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==References==