Editing Dunklin County, Missouri (section)

===Federal===
Missouri's two [[U.S. senator]]s are [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] [[Josh Hawley]] and [[Eric Schmitt]].

Claire McCaskill was [[2012 United States Senate election in Missouri|reelected to her second term in 2012 with 54.81 percent of the statewide vote]] over former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[U.S. Representative]] [[Todd Akin|W. Todd Akin]] of [[Town and Country, Missouri|Town & Country]] and [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] Jonathan Dine of [[Riverside, Missouri|Riverside]]; Dunklin County gave McCaskill just over 50 and a half percent of the vote.

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. Senate - Class I – Dunklin County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Claire McCaskill'''
  |votes      = '''5,347'''
  |percentage = '''50.69'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = W. Todd Akin
  |votes      = 4,806
  |percentage = 45.56
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 395
  |percentage = 3.74
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. Senate - Class I – Dunklin County (2018)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/06/us/elections/results-missouri-elections.html |title=Missouri Election Results |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 15, 2019 |access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Claire McCaskill
  |votes      = 1,988
  |percentage = 24.90
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Josh Hawley'''
  |votes      = '''5,802'''
  |percentage = '''72.70'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Independent (United States)
  |candidate  = Craig O'Dear
  |votes      = 82
  |percentage = 1.00
  |change     =
}}
{{Election box end}}

Roy Blunt was [[2010 United States Senate election in Missouri|elected to his first term in 2010 with 54.23 percent of the statewide vote]] over former [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[Missouri Secretary of State]] [[Robin Carnahan]], [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] Jonathan Dine of [[Riverside, Missouri|Riverside]], and [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitutionalist]] Jerry Beck of [[Novelty, Missouri|Novelty]]; Dunklin County voters backed Blunt with just under 62 and a half percent of the vote.

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. Senate - Class III – Dunklin County (2010)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Roy Blunt'''
  |votes      = '''4,306'''
  |percentage = '''62.48'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Robin Carnahan
  |votes      = 2,363
  |percentage = 34.29
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 121
  |percentage = 1.76
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jerry Beck
  |votes      = 102
  |percentage = 1.48
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. Senate - Class III – Dunklin County (2016)<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/missouri |title=Missouri Election Results 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 1, 2017 |access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Roy Blunt'''
  |votes      = '''6,536'''
  |percentage = '''63.00'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jason Kander
  |votes      = 3,433
  |percentage = 33.10
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Dine
  |votes      = 172
  |percentage = 1.70
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

All of Dunklin County is included in [[MO-08|Missouri's 8th Congressional District]] and is currently represented by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Jason T. Smith]] of [[Salem, Missouri|Salem]] in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]]. Smith won a special election on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, to complete the remaining term of former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[U.S. Representative]] [[Jo Ann Emerson]] of [[Cape Girardeau, Missouri|Cape Girardeau]]. Emerson announced her resignation a month after being reelected with over 70 percent of the vote in the district. She resigned to become CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative.

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 – Dunklin County (2012)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jo Ann Emerson'''
  |votes      = '''7,416'''
  |percentage = '''70.66'''
  |change     = +4.06
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jack Rushin
  |votes      = 2,884
  |percentage = 27.48
  |change     = -3.34
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Rick Vandeven
  |votes      = 196
  |percentage = 1.87
  |change     = +0.87
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 - Special Election – Dunklin County (2013)}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jason T. Smith'''
  |votes      = '''1,407'''
  |percentage = '''67.22'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Steve Hodges
  |votes      = 618
  |percentage = 29.53
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Constitution Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Doug Enyart
  |votes      = 37
  |percentage = 1.77
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Bill Slantz
  |votes      = 30
  |percentage = 1.43
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Write-in candidate 
  |candidate  = Thomas Brown
  |votes      = 1
  |percentage = 0.05
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 – Dunklin County (2018)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/missouri-house-district-8 |title=Missouri Election Results: Eighth House District – Election Results 2018  |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 28, 2019 |access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jason T. Smith'''
  |votes      = '''5,978'''
  |percentage = '''75.50'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Kathy Ellis
  |votes      = 1,857
  |percentage = 23.50
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Shell
  |votes      = 81
  |percentage = 1.00
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin | title=U.S. House of Representatives - District 8 – Dunklin County (2020)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-missouri-house-district-8.html |title=Missouri Eighth Congressional District Results: Jason Smith vs. Kathy Ellis |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |orig-date=2020-12-10 |date=June 1, 2021 |access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Republican Party (United States)
  |candidate  = '''Jason T. Smith'''
  |votes      = '''7,978'''
  |percentage = '''78.40'''
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Democratic Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Kathy Ellis
  |votes      = 2,074
  |percentage = 20.40
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Libertarian Party (United States)
  |candidate  = Tom Schmitz
  |votes      = 129
  |percentage = 1.30
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

====Political culture====
{{PresHead|place=Dunklin 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=March 25, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|8,096|1,885|70|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|8,135|2,200|84|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|8,026|2,360|192|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|6,850|3,636|165|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|7,044|4,540|180|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|6,720|4,901|56|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|5,426|4,947|152|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,766|5,428|979|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|4,024|6,277|1,178|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|5,026|5,281|13|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|6,092|4,967|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|5,253|6,120|157|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|3,314|7,107|22|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,926|2,776|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|4,366|5,063|2,903|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,465|8,467|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|6,708|6,568|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|4,943|8,698|0|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|5,400|9,515|9|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|2,466|10,979|16|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|4,274|8,431|27|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|5,516|11,132|32|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,775|10,233|58|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,977|9,141|93|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|3,602|4,879|20|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|3,436|4,357|259|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|4,455|5,199|309|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,924|3,723|386|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|987|2,723|1,538|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,638|2,734|286|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|1,461|2,229|108|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,276|2,711|73|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|961|2,975|6|Missouri}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|659|2,167|170|Missouri}}
{{PresFoot|1888|Democratic|719|1,838|0|Missouri}}

Historically, Dunklin County has tended to support [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] at the presidential level. A predominantly [[rural]] county in the heavily impoverished [[Missouri Bootheel|Bootheel]] with a fairly substantial [[African American]] population, Democrats at all levels have historically performed quite well in Dunklin County. [[Bill Clinton]] of neighboring [[Arkansas]] was the last Democratic presidential nominee to carry the county in 1996; since then, Dunklin County has, like virtually all counties throughout the state, experienced a rapid trend rightward, as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] have been surging at the presidential level. Voters in Dunklin County have left their historically Democratic roots as Republicans hold all the local elected offices in the county, and statewide elections have done much the same.

Like most rural areas throughout Missouri, voters in Dunklin County generally adhere to socially and culturally [[Conservatism|conservative]] principles but are more moderate or [[Populism|populist]] on economic issues, typical of the [[Dixiecrat]] philosophy. 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 passed Dunklin County with 87.57 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 Dunklin County with 53.70 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 Dunklin 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 Dunklin County with 79.42 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.