Democrats in a Trump stronghold fight an uphill battle to win supporters

In the recreation room of a church in Lake Havasu Ginny arranges a tray of store-bought cookies in preparation for the night’s meeting of the local Democrats Association. The temperature outside is pushing 115 degrees, so no one is expecting much of a turnout. When the monthly meeting is eventually called to order less than a dozen people sit scattered around folding tables. Most of them are committee members, all of them are over 50.

For years the group has been thin in numbers, struggling to draw in members in a town populated by conservative retirees with fixed ideas about how big the role of government should be. 

That conservative bent spreads throughout the county, Mohave. Republicans have won every presidential election here since 1964, according to local election data, and Donald Trump was no outlier. Nearly 73% of all voters in Mohave chose him to lead the country. It’s a place where an acquaintance of my mother’s asked me if I was the kind of reporter "who picks on Trump.”

Last year’s election, however, has catalyzed efforts among Democrats to win over supporters. Now they’re looking for candidates to back in the 2018 elections. 

“We’re just dying to support someone,” one of the chairs says as the monthly meeting begins. 

Some Democrats saw special elections in Georgia and North Carolina earlier this summer as a signal the party has made progress but needed to work harder. And groups like the Lake Havasu Democrats are eager to do so, despite the challenges. 

Among them are finding a permanent venue so people know where to find them. The church seems promising, and the association’s head says they’re sticking.

“It might cost us more money, but we’re gonna get more people here to fill it,” he says.

During the meeting, members discuss whether to participate in an annual parade in October. They’ll need to apply soon if they want to register. If they do, they’ll be competing against the Republication Association float that has been in the parade for years and is reputed to be “huge.”

While small in number, the members are committed. They agree a float will help their cause and provide an opportunity to show that they’re part of the community. On a table at the back of the room sits literature about county's central Democratic committee and a handbook dubbed “a practical guide for resisting Trump’s agenda.” 

In recent weeks the association has started petitions against two upcoming ballot initiatives, one that seeks to shift money from public schools to charter institutions and another that would allow legislators to keep public proposals from coming up for vote. Several members have been out collecting signatures, even on days when the temperature reaches into the triple digits.

Members know the battle is just beginning. The association was far larger during president Obama’s first presidential run. Donald Trump gave the group a bump — much like his win did for news subscriptions and liberal activist groups — but still just over 20,000 people are registered Democrats in county with more than 115,000 registered voters.

One member says those with the group during its heyday have either died or moved away.

They know they need to sign up younger voters — a challenge in a city where half the population is over 45, according to the recent census. And they’re working to bring in Hispanic voters and increase their online presence.

Long-time members seem nonplussed. People at the party’s headquarters in Washington are starting to listen, and each new tweet from President Trump seems like another nail in the coffin for the Republicans. 

“We’ll make our mark,” says one.