For Democrats who mistake demographics for destiny, Imperial County is a mystery. It's California's most heavily Latino county, and yet Republicans have been making gains here.
This isn't south Texas, where former President Donald Trump's appeal was rooted in cowboy-idolizing Tejano culture. This is Southern California. The GOP's allure here is more complicated.
About 200 miles southeast of Los Angeles, the still-blue county does have similarities to the Rio Grande Valley, such as proximity to Mexico and a rural economy. The sprawling fields of the Imperial Valley supply the country with winter vegetables such as lettuce and carrots.
