Editing Howell County, Missouri (section)

====Political culture====
{{PresHead|place=Howell 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|15,733|3,073|215|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|15,181|3,218|277|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,893|2,881|681|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|11,544|4,395|407|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|10,982|5,736|311|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|11,097|5,118|164|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|9,018|4,641|416|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|5,991|5,261|2,272|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|5,360|5,492|2,685|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|7,277|4,324|44|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|8,204|3,767|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|7,149|4,472|282|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|4,692|5,265|78|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|7,253|2,795|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|5,631|2,763|1,444|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|4,632|4,968|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|7,095|2,734|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|5,473|3,066|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|6,608|3,349|26|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|4,427|3,599|34|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|5,151|3,020|14|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|6,158|4,218|21|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|5,297|4,725|42|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,660|4,775|105|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|4,869|2,543|49|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|3,130|2,681|682|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|4,344|2,323|202|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|2,132|1,861|252|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|1,465|1,565|1,264|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|2,164|1,827|245|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,089|1,605|219|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,059|1,975|182|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|1,892|2,373|33|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|1,484|1,642|413|Missouri}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Democratic|1,370|1,506|332|Missouri}}
Howell County is, like several [[rural]] counties located in the Ozarks, conservative and strongly [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] at the presidential level. [[Bill Clinton]] of neighboring [[Arkansas]] was the last [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential nominee to win Howell County in 1992; he lost the county during his 1996 reelection bid and since then, voters in Howell County have decisively backed Republicans. Controversy occurred during the [[2008 United States presidential election|course of the 2008 presidential campaign]] over a billboard displayed near [[West Plains, Missouri|West Plains]] that depicted a picture of then-[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] presidential nominee [[Barack Obama]] in a turban. Some were offended by the billboard and deemed it racist.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130727153446/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-10-30/news/36866635_1_west-plains-anti-obama-sign-george-w-bush-s The Washington Post], Retrieved July 27, 2013.</ref>

Like most rural areas throughout Southeast Missouri, voters in Howell County generally adhere to socially and culturally [[Conservatism|conservative]] principles which tend to influence their Republican leanings. In 2004, Missourians voted on [[Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2004)|a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman]]—it overwhelmingly won in Howell County with 83.36 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters. 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 Howell County with 57.97 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 Howell 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 Howell County with 67.79 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 78.99 percent voting in favor. (During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage.)