In the 2004 election, the three counties closest to Eglin Air Force base all gave George W. Bush over 70 percent of their votes, as did Clay County near Naval Air Station Jacksonville (which had over 20, 000 military and civilian workers on-site).

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Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins declared the emergency in his capacity as director of the county's Homeland Security and Emergency Management and instructed the department to file a local disaster declaration with the state.

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