Counties That Count

Polling data from the 2016 presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton might just offer a glimpse into how key battleground states will vote in 2020. Newsweek is looking at a dozen key counties from 2016 who previously supported Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but flipped to support Trump in 2016. We're looking at voter sentiment, the economy, what's happening on the ground with business owners, politicians and others. Counties in states like Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida could be the deciding factor in whether Trump or Joe Biden ultimately win the White House in 2020.

U.S.
In Counties That Flipped to Trump, Just 26% Say They're Worse OffIn a poll conducted for Newsweek released on Wednesday, 32% of registered voters surveyed said they're better off than four years ago, 31% said they're about the same, and 26% said they're worse off. An additional 10% said they don't know how their current situation compares to 2016.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/29/20 at 5:42 PM EDT

U.S.
Exclusive: In Counties that Flipped Obama to Trump, Biden leads in New PollThe results of a Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll released Wednesday found that 47% of likely voters favored the Democratic nominee, compared to 41% for the Republican president, in counties that Barack Obama won in 2008 and 2012 that pivoted to Donald Trump in 2016.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/28/20 at 5:50 PM EDT

U.S.
In Counties That Flipped From Obama to Trump, Few Care About Law and OrderA  survey conducted for Newsweek found that just 4 percent of registered voters in swing counties considered "law and order" a key policy area that would determine how they vote.

By Alexandra Hutzler On 10/28/20 at 1:58 PM EDT

U.S.
Joe Biden's Fracking Comments in Debate May Come Back to Haunt Him in PAReactions of voters in critical battleground counties after last night's debate evoke those of fans at a heavyweight championship fight between a seasoned challenger poised to claim the title and a "laid back" title holder claiming victory by raising both arms over his head at the final bell.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/23/20 at 4:50 PM EDT

U.S.
Voters wait up to 10 hours in line to vote in Critical Georgia CountyCobb County, Georgia, is deep into this year's election. Nearly 30% of the county's registered voters have already cast their ballots.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/21/20 at 4:58 PM EDT

U.S.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump Supporters Not Budging in Pennsylvania CountyLuzerne County, Pennsylvania, has garnered nationwide attention and speculation as Election Day approaches, not only because Donald Trump turned the county red in 2016, but also because of its proximity to Joe Biden's birthplace.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/13/20 at 3:50 PM EDT

U.S.
Enthusiasm for Trump Remains High in Florida County that He Flipped in 2016The folks in Jefferson County, a bucolic, picture-postcard setting on the Florida Panhandle about 40 minutes east of the state capital in Tallahassee, are concerned about what's going to happen in Washington, D.C., the next four years.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/12/20 at 10:25 AM EDT

U.S.
Trump Yard Signs Flood Tries to Stop Democrats' Momentum in Georgia CountyEnthusiasm for politics has been growing in Cobb County, Georgia, for some time, and that enthusiasm is blossoming in the Peach State at election time.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/8/20 at 10:02 AM EDT

U.S.
Georgia County that Flipped for Clinton Could Flip the State for Biden"We are really the vanguard for change," one Gwinnett County school board member told Newsweek.

By Alexandra Hutzler On 10/6/20 at 5:33 PM EDT

U.S.
Reports of Mail Theft in Pennsylvania County Trump Flipped and Won in 2016Pennsylvania State Police warned about "numerous" USPS mailbox thefts in and around Hazleton, located within Luzerne County.

By Emily Czachor On 10/6/20 at 11:32 AM EDT

News
Penn. Board Member Condemns 'Egregious Mishandling of Military Ballots'The Election Board member said he was "outraged" that nine military mail-in ballots had been discarded prematurely.

By Katherine Fung On 10/6/20 at 11:30 AM EDT

U.S.
Donald Trump hopes to Hang On to Key Minnesota County He Flipped in 2016Donald Trump won rural Fillmore County, Minnesota, once a Democratic stronghold, in 2016, but he hopes to be the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state since 1972.

By Ken Tarbous On 10/2/20 at 11:05 AM EDT

U.S.
The Trump-Biden Debate Sickened Some in Key County, But Didn't Change MindsLast night's raucous presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden did little to change the minds of voters in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, a county that the president won in 2016 after it went twice for Barack Obama.

By Ken Tarbous On 9/30/20 at 5:08 PM EDT

Politics
Luzerne County, Which Voted for Obama Then Trump, Sees Rise in RepublicansA county that was crucial to President Donald Trump's election has seen significant growth in Republican registrations since 2016.

By Darragh Roche On 9/28/20 at 8:27 AM EDT

U.S.
Trump Flipped This Wisconsin County in 2016, and 2020 Looks Like a Repeat"People are coming in left and right. They want signs, they want hats, they want the Trump T-shirt—you name it. It's been unlike anything I've seen in politics," one lawmaker told Newsweek.

By Alexandra Hutzler On 9/25/20 at 5:18 PM EDT

News
FBI Finds Discarded Military Ballots Cast for Trump in PA CountyAfter conducting numerous interviews and reviewing physical evidence, an FBI investigation confirmed that nine discarded mail-in ballots were cast for President Donald Trump.

By Katherine Fung On 9/24/20 at 4:21 PM EDT

U.S.
Biden Appeals Directly to Obama Voters Who Flipped for Trump in 2016"I know many of you were frustrated," the Democratic nominee said. "I get it. It has to change. It will change with me."

By Alexandra Hutzler On 9/21/20 at 5:48 PM EDT

U.S.
How the Pollsters Changed Their Game After Getting the 2016 Election Wrong"A whole host of things happened that the polls would not have caught," said one pollster about the 2016 election.

By Alexandra Hutzler On 9/18/20 at 11:50 AM EDT

U.S.
Iowa County Swung Big From Obama to Trump, and Signs Point to Re-electionIn a county that's become more vocal in its backing for Trump since 2016, "everybody seems to have a flag," said the chair of the local Democratic Party.

By Jenni Fink On 9/16/20 at 8:05 AM EDT

U.S.
This County Flipped for Trump in 2016, but Times Are Tough There NowCongressman Tim Walberg, a Republican who represents Monroe County, said the area's unemployment rate is a "hard pill to swallow."

By Alexandra Hutzler On 9/15/20 at 4:47 PM EDT

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