Local counties among most conservative

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Four local counties have made a list of the top 100 “most conservative-friendly” counties in the United States by a political news web site.

The Daily Caller is counting down the list this week. Santa Rosa County is ranked number 61 on the list.

“This county, right next to aforementioned Pensacola, is also a conservative stronghold in the Florida Panhandle. The focus here is less on the beach (though there are some here) and more on the military. It is where much of Pensacola’s military population resides. The residential population is remarkably family-oriented considering how much of a military imprint there is here,” the web site said of Santa Rosa.

Baldwin County is ranked number 63 on the list.

“There are two main areas of settlement in Baldwin County. The bulk of the population is part of the suburbs of Mobile, across the bay from the city itself. The new suburbs are prosperous Gulf Coast towns similar to those around Tampa or Houston. The other thrust of development are the resorts along the Gulf. Beaches like Gulf Shores are very similar to the white sand beaches in the Florida Panhandle. The county is about 3-to-1 Republican.” the web site said of Baldwin County.

Escambia County, Florida came in at number 72 on the list.

“The main fact of life in Pensacola is the presence of Pensacola Naval Air Station, the main base for training naval aviators. Pensacola is also part of the Florida Panhandle’s strong evangelical Protestant tradition. The last Democrat the county has voted for at the presidential level was John F. Kennedy,” the Web site said of Escambia County.

Okaloosa County made the list at number 77.

“Okaloosa County is the center of what is referred to as the “Redneck Riviera,” the Florida Panhandle beaches known for their quartz white sand and family friendly beaches. The main attraction here is Destin, a rapidly expanding beach resort. It has gone more than 70 percent Republican in the last two presidential elections and has many retired military personnel, mainly from Pensacola next door,” the Web site said of Okaloosa.

The Daily Caller is releasing the list 20 counties at a time, counting down to the number one most conservative county in the nation. Click here to see the entire list so far. http://dailycaller.com/