“Democratic” Cities (Part 1)

What exactly is meant by the term “Democratic” City?

The term “Democratic City” gets thrown around quite a bit in political circles. It tends to be used by Republican pundits, but it’s now become part of the overall discussion around crime, immigration, homelessness, etc.

What is a Democratic City?

The implication is that there is also the concept of a Republican City, though the term is rarely (ever?) mentioned.

I assume what is meant is that the city – or the county in which the city is found – voted primarily for Democratic candidates and is likely run by a Democratic mayor or city manager.

Let’s look at the largest 50 cities in the United States:

Based on the 2020* Presidential Election results, 90% of the largest 50 cities in the country leaned Democrat. What are the takeaways from this?

• Larger cities tend to lean Democrat
• The term “Democrat Cities” is overwhelmingly (90% of the time) a euphemism for “urban centers” or just plain “cities.”
• By extension, “Republican Cities” is thus a euphemism for “large towns” or “small cities.“
• And, effectively, Democrat = Urban, Republican = Rural.
• The term “Democrat City” is redundant. If it’s a city, the overwhelming probability is that it votes Democrat.

*Full, certified 2024 results weren’t available for perusal when I wrote this.