Editing Webster County, Missouri (section)

===Federal===
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Webster County (2016)<ref name=Webster2016>{{cite web| title=Official Results|url=http://www.webstercountymo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Official-Results.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203013035/http://www.webstercountymo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Official-Results.pdf |archive-date=December 3, 2016 |url-status=live|publisher=Webster County Clerk |date =November 8, 2016|access-date=April 5, 2017}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Roy Blunt'''
  |votes      = '''11,450'''
  |percentage = '''68.16%'''
  |change     = '''+17.58'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jason Kander
  |votes      = 4,612
  |percentage = 27.45%
  |change     = -14.13
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 397
  |percentage = 2.36%
  |change     = -5.48
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Johnathan McFarland
  |votes      = 150
  |percentage = 0.89%
  |change     = +0.89
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Fred Ryman
  |votes      = 190
  |percentage = 1.13%
  |change     = +1.13
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. Senate — Missouri — Webster County (2012)<ref name=Webster2012>{{cite web| url=http://www.webstercountymo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/nov_2012.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213225654/http://www.webstercountymo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/nov_2012.pdf |archive-date=December 13, 2016 |url-status=live|title=General Election, Official Results|publisher=Webster County Clerk|date=November 6, 2012|access-date=April 5, 2017}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Todd Akin
  |votes      = 7,739
  |percentage = 50.58%
  |change     = 
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Claire McCaskill'''
  |votes      = '''6,363'''
  |percentage = '''41.58%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 1,200
  |percentage = 7.84%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

The northern half of Webster County is included in [[Missouri's 4th congressional district]], which is currently represented by [[Mark Alford]] (R-[[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]) in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]]. The southern half of the county is included in the [[Missouri's 7th congressional district|7th congressional district]], which is represented by [[Eric Burlison]] (R-[[Springfield, Missouri|Springfield]]).
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th congressional district — Webster County (2016)<ref name=Webster2016/>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Vicky Hartzler'''
  |votes      = '''9,821'''
  |percentage = '''78.39%'''
  |change     = '''+4.27'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Gordon Christensen
  |votes      = 2,267
  |percentage = 18.09%
  |change     = -0.29
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Mark Bliss
  |votes      = 441
  |percentage = 3.52
  |change     = -3.98
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th congressional district — Webster County (2014)<ref name=Webster2014>{{cite web| url=http://www.webstercountymo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2014_11_04_final_official_results.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161213175133/http://www.webstercountymo.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2014_11_04_final_official_results.pdf |archive-date=December 13, 2016 |url-status=live|title=Official Results|publisher =Webster County Clerk|date=November 4, 2014|access-date=April 5, 2017}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Vicky Hartzler'''
  |votes      = '''5,307'''
  |percentage = '''74.12%'''
  |change     = '''+1.98'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Nate Irvin
  |votes      = 1,316
  |percentage = 18.38%
  |change     = -6.18
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Herschel L. Young
  |votes      = 537
  |percentage = 7.50%
  |change     = +5.08
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 4th congressional district — Webster County (2012)<ref name=Webster2012/>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Vicky Hartzler'''
  |votes      = '''8,350'''
  |percentage = '''72.14%'''
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Teresa Hensley
  |votes      = 2,843
  |percentage = 24.56%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Thomas Holbrook
  |votes      = 280
  |percentage = 2.42%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Greg Cowan
  |votes      = 102
  |percentage = 0.88%
  |change     =
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 7th congressional district — Webster County (2016)<ref name=Webster2016/>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Billy Long'''
  |votes      = '''2,778'''
  |percentage = '''70.78%'''
  |change     = '''+8.95'''
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Genevieve (Gen) Williams
  |votes      = 921
  |percentage = 23.46%
  |change     = -4.55
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Benjamin T. Brixey
  |votes      = 226
  |percentage = 5.76%
  |change     = -4.40
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 7th congressional district — Webster County (2014)<ref name=Webster2014/>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party       = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate   = '''Billy Long'''
  |votes       = '''1,150'''
  |percentage  = '''61.83%'''
  |change      = '''-2.20'''
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party       = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate   = Jim Evans
  |votes       = 521
  |percentage  = 28.01%
  |change      = -1.56
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party       = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate   = Kevin Craig
  |votes       = 189
  |percentage  = 10.16%
  |change      = +3.76
  }}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin|title=U.S. House of Representatives — Missouri's 7th congressional district — Webster County (2012)<ref name=Webster2012/>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party       = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate   = '''Billy Long'''
  |votes       = '''2,282'''
  |percentage  = '''64.03%'''
  |change      =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party       = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate   = Jim Evans
  |votes       = 1,054
  |percentage  = 29.57%
  |change      =
  }}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party       = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate   = Kevin Craig
  |votes       = 228
  |percentage  = 6.40%
  |change      =
  }}
{{Election box end}}

====Political culture====
{{PresHead|place=Webster County, Missouri|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=February 22, 2021}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|15,984|3,653|177|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|14,880|3,573|326|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|12,840|3,177|726|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|10,708|4,409|379|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|10,431|5,685|240|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|10,194|4,657|93|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|7,350|4,174|356|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|4,958|3,855|1,339|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|4,361|4,149|2,130|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|5,123|3,890|22|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|5,529|2,982|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|5,121|3,409|189|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,510|3,759|46|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,095|2,343|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|4,118|2,547|572|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,341|3,824|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|4,603|2,707|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|3,940|3,132|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|4,701|2,894|20|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|3,581|3,292|17|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|4,281|2,785|15|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|4,818|3,518|16|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|4,469|3,612|21|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,083|4,211|63|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|4,002|2,343|8|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|3,168|2,730|299|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|4,000|2,428|81|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,114|1,903|100|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,387|1,649|879|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,901|1,761|180|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|1,854|1,474|176|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|1,721|1,702|135|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|1,666|1,985|17|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|1,389|1,273|399|Missouri}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Republican|1,441|1,286|276|Missouri}}
Like most counties situated in Southwest Missouri, Webster County is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. In 2020, [[Donald Trump]] garnered nearly 80% of the vote, with [[Joe Biden]] receiving 19%.  Going back in time, [[George W. Bush]] carried Webster County in [[2000 United States presidential election|2000]] and [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]] by around two-to-one margins, and like many other rural counties throughout Missouri, Webster County strongly favored [[John McCain]] over [[Barack Obama]] in [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry Webster County was [[Jimmy Carter]] in 1976.

Like most areas throughout the [[Bible Belt]] in Southwest Missouri, voters in Webster County traditionally adhere to socially and culturally [[Conservatism|conservative]] principles which tend to strongly influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on [[2006 Missouri Amendment 2|a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman]]—it overwhelmingly passed Webster County with 82.32 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban [[same-sex marriage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)|a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state]]—it failed in Webster County with 57.94 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve [[Embryonic stem cell|embryonic stem cell research]]. Despite Webster County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters in the county have a penchant for advancing [[Populism|populist]] causes like increasing the [[minimum wage]]. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour—it passed Webster County with 75.50 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.