Politics is the source of a lot of controversy these days, and many people want those around them to have the same political beliefs that they do. If you live in Buckeye, Arizona, are your neighbors more likely to be liberal or conservative?
Buckeye, Arizona is not liberal, but is a conservative city. The majority of residents voted for the Republican candidates in five of the last six presidential elections. Maricopa County, the county in which Buckeye is, is also a conservative area, and Arizona is a conservative state.
There are many indicators of the political climate of a city, such as the results of presidential elections, the local leaders, the supported policies, and the demographics. It is important to consider all these factors when deciding whether a city is liberal or conservative.
Presidential Elections
The results of presidential elections in a city are a big indicator of that city’s political climate. The two major political parties in the United States represent the liberal and conservative views. The Democratic party has mostly liberal members and supports liberal policies. The Republican party has mostly conservative members and supports conservative policies. If the majority of residents vote for the Democratic candidate, the city is mostly liberal. If the majority of residents voted for the Republican candidate, the city is mostly conservative.
It is important to consider not only which candidate got the most votes, but also how much that candidate won by. The difference between the percentage of votes for the Democratic candidate and the percentage of votes for the Republican candidate is how much the winning candidate won by and shows how liberal or conservative the city is. If the difference is high, the city is solidly liberal or conservative. If the difference is low, the city is closer to being evenly split between liberal and conservative.
Arizona is a conservative state. The majority of residents voted for the Republican candidates in five of the last six presidential elections. The differences between the percentages was less than 10% in every election since 2000 except for the 2004 election. The highest difference was 10.5% in 2004, and the lowest difference was 0.3% in 2020.
In the 2020 election, 49.4% of Arizona residents voted for the Democratic candidate, and 49.1% voted for the Republican candidate. The difference of 0.3% was the lowest it had been in the time since 2000.
Maricopa county, the county in which Buckeye is, is a conservative area. The majority of residents voted for the Republican candidates in five of the last six presidential elections. The differences between the percentages were between 10% and 15% in four of those elections and close to 2% in the other two elections. The highest difference was 14.64% in 2004, and the lowest difference was 2.17% in 2020.
In the 2020 election, 50.13% of Maricopa county residents voted for the Democratic candidate, and 47.96% voted for the Republican candidate. The difference of 2.17% was the lowest it has been in the time since 2000.
Buckeye, like Maricopa county and the state of Arizona, has a conservative majority. The majority of residents voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since 2000 except for the 2020 election. The differences between the percentages was higher than 10% in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, but lower than 10% in 2016 and 2020. This shows that the city has become less conservative over time.
From 2018 to 2021, there were 5,408 contributions to the Democratic party in Buckeye, totaling $357,994. During that same time, there were 2,841 contributions to the Republican party in Buckeye, totaling $784,234. Though there were almost twice as many contributions to the Democratic party, the Republican party brought in about 2 times the amount of money. This is because the average size of donations to the Republican party was about 4 times higher than the average size of donations to the Democratic party.
Local Leaders
The local leaders of a city represent the political climate. The people elect the local leaders based on their beliefs and promises, so the beliefs and promises of the local leaders reflect the desires of the people. We need to look at the campaign platforms, the party affiliations, and the goals and initiatives of the local leaders of Buckeye to figure out if it is liberal or conservative.
Mayor
The mayor of Buckeye is one of the most important election officials in the city. The mayor is elected to represent the people in state, national, and international matters. The mayor also proposes a budget, appoints certain city employees, signs legislation, and oversees the operations of the city. The mayor is elected for four years at a time.
The current mayor of Buckeye is Eric Orsborn
. He was elected in 2020, and his term will end in November of 2024. He served as a member of the city council for ten years from 2010 to 2020. He has a background in construction, and owns a construction and maintenance company.
Mayor Orsborn has focused his time in office on supporting veterans and on improving the economy of Buckeye. He is a member of the Fighter County Partnership and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.
Mayoral elections in Buckeye are nonpartisan, so Mayor Orsborn is technically not a member of a political party. However, he has been known to be affiliated with the Republican party. Based on his affiliations and the goals and initiatives he has had while running for and in office, he has a conservative perspective.
City Council
The Buckeye City Council is a board of elected officials that serves as the legislative body of the city. The city council is responsible for accepting a budget, approving mayoral appointees, imposing taxes, and creating or changing city laws. There are six members of city council, each of which is elected by one of the city’s six district. City council members serve for four years each term.
All of the current members of the city council are nonpartisan, but based on the goals and initiatives of the city council, it has a conservative majority.
Policies
The policies that are supported in a city are another indicator of the political climate. Certain policies are likely to be supported or opposed by liberals or conservatives. Fewer abortion restrictions, more gun control laws, and legal same-sex marriage are all policies that are likely to be supported by liberals and opposed by conservatives.
Abortions
Abortions in Arizona are legal before 20 weeks of gestation. At least 24 hours before receiving an abortion, the patient must receive counseling and an ultrasound. Health plans, insurance policies for public employees, and Medicaid do not cover abortions. The parents of minors must consent before that minor can receive an abortion, and clinics must meet very strict standards.
As of 2017, there were 11 facilities in Arizona that provide abortions, 8 of which were clinics. 80% of counties did not have a clinic, leaving 18% of women without access to a clinic.
Buckeye residents tend to support an increase in abortion restrictions or a complete ban of abortions, which is consistent with a conservative perspective.
Gun Control Laws
Arizona had the 20th highest gun death rate and 5th highest crime gun export rate in 2020. Arizona gun laws include not allowing firearms at polling places and mental health record reporting. Arizona gun laws don’t include universal background checks, licensing, domestic violence laws, assault weapon or large capacity magazine bans, waiting periods, concealed and open carry regulations, and child access prevention laws.
Buckeye residents tend to support the low number of gun control laws, which is consistent with a conservative perspective.
Same-Sex Marriage
Arizona legalized same-sex marriage on October 17, 2014 and was the 30th state to do so, tied with Alaska. This was about eight months before the Supreme Court mandate was passed requiring all states to legalize same-sex marriage. Buckeye residents generally opposed to legalization of same-sex marriage.
Demographics
The population of Buckeye is 85,224 people. The population density is 217 people per square mile. 45.9% of the population is female and 54.1% of the population is male. The median age is 31.5, and the average number of people per household is 3.2.
The racial makeup of Buckeye is as follows:
- White: 51.2%
- Black: 7.8%
- Hispanic/Latino: 35.7%
- Asian: 1.6%
- Native American: 1.6%
- Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.2%
- Two or More Races: 1.5%
- Other: 0.5%
53.6% of the population of Buckeye is married, and 10.5% is divorced. 41.1% is married with children and 17.7% is single with children.
The average income in Buckeye is $20,149 per year. The median household income is $58,703 per year. The unemployment rate is 8.4%. The sales tax rate is 9.3%, and the income tax rate is 4.2%.
84.7% of Buckeye residents are high school graduates, and 31.8% are only high school graduates. 13% have two year degrees, 17.3% have four year degrees, 0.6% have masters degrees, and 0.6% have professional degrees.
39.8% of Buckeye residents are religious. 38% are Christian, 0.4% are Jewish, 1.1% are of eastern faith, and 0.2% are affiliated with Islam.
