Well, at the statewide level, we have been blue for a LONG time. we dabble with red at those levels but usually only very popular candidates. Our national senate tends to be rather purple.

Even our national representatives are purple-ish, when they are not gerrymandered. Our state congress is pretty red.

Small towns have also shifted because every generation for atleast the last 40+ years have ran from them and have generally decided not to go back. You go off for college or technical training, why go back there, you can make so much more money elsewhere. You aren't religious, are gay, or have odd interests for a small town... why the hell would you stay there, there is NOTHING to do there.

Even if you do regular trades work, why go to a place that only has 40k people in 400 square miles who are generally poorer, when you can have a million+ in the same sized space only an hour away, who tend to have more money.

Those places aren't bringing in new people, there aren't a lot of businesses, aren't a lot of well paying jobs, they shoot themselves in the foot every step of the way