A little later than usual, but as always here’s today’s #DistrictOfTheDay. West Virginia’s 3rd district is about as conservative as they come – at least socially. But it’s hard to find a part of the country with stronger ancestral Democratic roots.

Back in the day – and as recently as 2000 – this district was carried almost exclusively by Democratic presidential candidates. John Kerry only lost it by 7 points in 2004, and Obama only lost it by 14 in 2008. But since then it’s swung massively to the right.

Why was this district so Democratic? The main industry here was (and still is) coal, so many of the miners and their families here relied on union-provided healthcare and benefits to stay afloat. Basically no one got elected here without support from the United Mine Workers.

As Democrats drifted left on environmental and social issues in the 2000s, this part of the country—which relied on “evil” coal and is extremely religious—felt little connection to the new Democratic Party. Before long, the dominoes started to fall.

In 2014, Democratic Nick Rahall, a 19-term incumbent, went down in his race for the U.S. House. Two years later, Donald Trump carried the district by a massive 50-point margin. It didn’t help Clinton that the once solidly Dem UMW didn’t endorse a presidential candidate in 2016.

But looks can be deceiving. In terms of registration, Democrats still outnumber Republicans here, and the state Democratic Party in WV is unquestionably the strongest Dem Party in a red state. Many of these counties are still represented by Dems in the WV Legislature.

Why? This district is socially conservative and pro-coal, but relies on liberal economic policies to help sustain their way of life. Unemployment, disability, and health insurance have literally saved hundreds of lives here. Without a safety net, many know they’d be toast.

Meanwhile the Democrats here, unlike elsewhere, really haven’t changed. They’re still socially conservative and pro-coal. But they fight like hell to protect healthcare, jobs, and public schools. For many people here, this mix is just what they’re looking for.

And it does work. In 2018, Dems came within 12 points of flipping this district, though the incumbent, Carol Miller (R–Huntington) still pulled off a win. That same year, Joe Manchin was reelected thanks to many of these voters. Without him, Dems could kiss the Senate goodbye.

This district isn’t going to vote for Biden in 2020. It’ll back Trump by another huge margin. But as long as local Dems keep close ties to their constituents and are economically progressive, there will be a significant Dem presence here for decades.

@RuralChrisLee In case you’re interested, though you probably knew all of it already!