"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Dem victories in the cities depend on organized "get out the vote" operations to push people to get to the polls. These operations require money for people to go door to door and nudge people to go vote. If the money isn't there, then Dem votes go way down.