Montgomery County, Maryland, is a place of great historical importance. It was the first county in the state to introduce a statutory form of government, and it has since gone through a remarkable transformation. When Jan and John Landis, both in their 70s, moved to Harleysville in 1975, they were not particularly involved in politics. However, the county has experienced a dramatic shift in its political landscape over the years. John started working at the metropolitan branch of the Baltimore Railroad & Ohio in 1855, aiming to create a route between Washington D.
C. and Point of Rocks. This railroad was essential in connecting Montgomery County to the rest of the country, and it helped to stimulate economic growth and development. Ruy Teixeira, a political scientist at the Center for American Progress, has studied how demographic changes and voter behavior are related. He believes that the blue-shifting of places like Montgomery County is not necessarily due to an increase in minority voters, but rather to changes within the political parties themselves. Jan and John Landis are both Mennonites, and their church does not encourage involvement in politics.
Nevertheless, they have seen first-hand how Montgomery County has evolved politically over the years. They believe that this evolution is due to changes within the political parties themselves, rather than changes in voters' political beliefs.
