The political landscape of Blanchard, Oklahoma has seen a dramatic shift over the years. From its formation as a combination of two territories, the Oklahoma Territory and the Indian Territory, to the present day, the state has experienced a transformation in its political dynamics. Initially, it was envisioned that the Indian Territory would become the State of Sequoyah and the Oklahoma Territory would become the state of Oklahoma. In the northern part of the state, settlers from the north brought Republican politics with them, while those from the south brought Democratic politics.
This resulted in a split electoral map between Democrats and Republicans for more than half of Oklahoma's history. Robert Kerr, a Democrat and former governor, was a powerful force in Oklahoma politics for many years. However, with an increase in urban representation in the Capitol, political impact was somewhat diluted as city's legislative delegations were politically divided between the two parties. In recent decades, Oklahoma politics has seen further changes. The “Boren Democrats” represent an old order of conservative Democrats who governed Oklahoma for so long, and as the national party moved farther to the left on the political spectrum in the '60s and '70s, they were left behind.
This paved way for a new wave of Republican talent that shaped state politics. At the time of court-ordered redistribution, Tulsa and Oklahoma counties had 30% of the population of the states between them but only 5% of representation in the Oklahoma Legislature. Members of House of Representatives are elected for 2-year terms and this chart shows how members in Oklahoma have changed over time. Every county welfare office and every institution offered political sponsorship opportunities in home districts of Oklahoma legislators. In Blanchard, a town with nearly 8,000 residents 25 miles south of Oklahoma City, butterfly advocates are working with state to make monarchs' trip to Oklahoma safer by ensuring there are enough places for insects to feast, rest and multiply along way. To ensure that similar issues wouldn't arise again next year, Blanchard residents asked Oklahoma farmers to plant more milkweed, reduce pesticide use and open up a path favorable to monarch butterflies - missing celebrities at their annual Monarch in Park festival during what was supposed to be arrival of insects on their arduous annual migration.
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