Great (RED) area :-)
Yes. It was always very fiscally conservative. And traditional.
The state began shifting Republican in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The reality of the political change in the Dem party became apparent to even the slow learners in the 1970’s. The local POLs resisted it, some better than others.
The Commies are now out of the closet trying to push you in. Even the slow learners can see it now.