Where Are All the Republican YIMBYs?

The 2016 election exposed, among other things, the gradual extinction of the urban Republican, who, like the Southern Democrat, has virtually vanished from the political scene. While Donald Trump swept rural areas, he struggled in suburbs and failed to find traction in cities. Less than a quarter of America's 100 largest cities are currently run by Republicans.

This is a big problem for the GOP. It's also a problem for urban residents. After all, political competition is good for cities. Partisan competition brings in fresh ideas and better policymaking. Though New York is a Democrat-dominated city, Republican administrations played a critical role in its revitalization. Even for those skeptical of conservative policy solutions, it's hard to deny that Chicago could use some fiscal prudence or that San Francisco badly needs some good-government street cleaning.