Residents of a small California town are flocking to endorse Donald Trump for president, despite being in a Democratic heartland.
Discovery Bay, east of Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area, is home to only one supermarket, as well as a port and a yacht club.
The city is an anomaly in the heavily Democratic state of California, where most residents support Trump in the 2020 election.
Residents Paul and Connie Rodgers, both Republicans, had moved to Discovery Bay from nearby Marin County in 2017 without realizing the town was red.
connie said The Chronicle of San Francisco For years he had held his tongue over his political views, saying that moving to the area felt like “being gay in the closet.”
Discovery Bay locals are seen decked out in MAGA hats and patriotic attire for a Trump boat parade held last month.
Paul and Connie Rodgers, seen here, are Republicans and moved to Discovery Bay from nearby Marin County in 2017 without realizing the town was red.
The two told the outlet that they are free to have their political discussions and disagreements without feeling like villains.
Initially nervous about moving from her old home, Connie said she overcame them when her conservative views were accepted.
Connie said she overcame her nerves about moving to the area when her conservative views were accepted.
Paul, an Air Force veteran, wanted to move to a smaller, single-story home and have the opportunity to have his own boat, docked on the pontoon deck in his backyard.
They both voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, and Connie stated that sometimes she wishes he would talk less.
Despite their attraction to Trump, they admitted to the media that they prefer his running mate, Senator JD Vance.
The couple has been together for 49 years and describe themselves as moderates; Connie was originally a Democrat before changing her stance.
Paul said: ‘People don’t talk about their ailments. They talk about their boats and trendy cocktails. “It’s just a really refreshing place to live.”
Despite wearing a Trump hat while speaking to the outlet, he said he refuses to wear Trump bumper stickers when he drives back to Marin County to see his family.
The city recently held a boat parade specifically for President Trump, and locals joyfully waved Trump flags from the back of their boats.
The city recently held a boat parade specifically for President Trump, and locals joyfully waved Trump flags from the back of their boats.
Locals also decked out in their MAGA hats and patriotic attire for the occasion.
Jennifer Mix, who has lived in the area for twenty years, is the secretary of the local county Republican Party.
Surprised by California’s political and cultural stance, she found herself in Discovery Bay and prefers the slower, more conservative lifestyle of the state.
She told the outlet: ‘Everyone has a boat. Even if you don’t live on the water, their boats are in the marina.
Mix described the community as a “safe zone” from problems plaguing California cities, including widespread drug use and homelessness.
He said Republicans don’t feel heard and may be “a little forgotten here” since most of the politicians representing the area are Democrats.
An enthusiastic Trump voter, he believes many others also support the former president.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a campaign rally in North Carolina on Saturday.
She said she was “absolutely confident” he will get the majority of the city’s support.
Both the couple and Mix are concerned about the economy and immigration, two central issues of the campaign.
Breaking with typical Republican beliefs, Connie and Paul also believe strongly in reproductive rights and want abortion to be legalized.
The median age in the area is about 44 years old, nearly six years older than California’s median age of 42.4 years.
Housing prices are also drastically lower than nearby San Francisco, with costs at $371 per square foot, compared to $958 per square foot in the city.
Census figures also note that Discovery Bay is older, whiter and more native than the rest of the state of California.