How Trump redrew the electoral map, from sea to shining sea

THE NORTHEAST

PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTH CAROLINA

Those bold red swings stretching from inland Maine through New Hampshire and into upstate New York are counties that flipped in Trump’s favor from 2012. Away from the large cities on the coast, these counties resemble the pattern seen widely, where cities voted slightly more Democratic, but suburbs and beyond swung way to the right.

Pennsylvania had voted for six Democratic presidential candidates in a row, but this year, most counties in the state voted more Republican than in 2012. North Carolina, on the other hand, was a reliably red state until Obama won it in 2008. Democrats hoped they could capture it this time around, but Trump won by four percentage points.

THE GREAT LAKES

The Midwest is where Trump redrew the electoral map. States like Michigan and Wisconsin were considered favorable to Clinton, but instead swung to Trump mostly due to voters in mid-sized counties outside the major cities. The most striking change occurred in counties along the junction of Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. In this farm country, Trump’s message to people left behind helped him seize a significant advantage.

THE DEEP SOUTH

Voters across Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia predictably voted Republican, but in no dramatic fashion. Rapidly urbanizing counties around Atlanta swung hard to the left for Clinton. She flipped three counties in this area that Obama lost in 2012.

ALONG THE BORDER

People closest to where Trump said he would build a wall consistently voted against him, all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.

UTAH

The reason you’re seeing counties in Utah swinging has a simple answer: Evan McMullin. The three-way contest with the independent conservative candidate in this state reduced the Republican margin, even though Clinton wasn’t competitive.

THE WEST

Even though early voting suggested a historic Hispanic turnout in Nevada, Clinton won the two largest counties in the state by a slightly slimmer margin than Obama did in 2012. California became even more Democratic: Clinton won Orange County, which hasn’t gone for a Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt. In the Pacific Northwest, a pocket of rural counties between Seattle and Portland swung toward Trump.

THE NORTHEAST

PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTH CAROLINA

Those bold red swings stretching from inland Maine through New Hampshire and into upstate New York are counties that flipped in Trump’s favor from 2012. Away from the large cities on the coast, these counties resemble the pattern seen widely, where cities voted slightly more Democratic, but suburbs and beyond swung way to the right.

Pennsylvania had voted for six Democratic presidential candidates in a row, but this year, most counties in the state voted more Republican than in 2012. North Carolina, on the other hand, was a reliably red state until Obama won it in 2008. Democrats hoped they could capture it this time around, but Trump won by four percentage points.

THE GREAT LAKES

The Midwest is where Trump redrew the electoral map. States like Michigan and Wisconsin were considered favorable to Clinton, but instead swung to Trump mostly due to voters in mid-sized counties outside the major cities. The most striking change occurred in counties along the junction of Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. In this farm country, Trump’s message to people left behind helped him seize a significant advantage.

THE DEEP SOUTH

Voters across Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia predictably voted Republican, but in no dramatic fashion. Rapidly urbanizing counties around Atlanta swung hard to the left for Clinton. She flipped three counties in this area that Obama lost in 2012.

ALONG THE BORDER

People closest to where Trump said he would build a wall consistently voted against him, all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.

UTAH

The reason you’re seeing counties in Utah swinging has a simple answer: Evan McMullin. The three-way contest with the independent conservative candidate in this state reduced the Republican margin, even though Clinton wasn’t competitive.

THE WEST

Even though early voting suggested a historic Hispanic turnout in Nevada, Clinton won the two largest counties in the state by a slightly slimmer margin than Obama did in 2012. California became even more Democratic: Clinton won Orange County, which hasn’t gone for a Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt. In the Pacific Northwest, a pocket of rural counties between Seattle and Portland swung toward Trump.

THE NORTHEAST

THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE

To no one’s surprise, Clinton won decisively in the Northeast Corridor. Those cities provided huge margins for her from Boston to Washington. Trump’s most notable big-city win was in Suffolk County on Long Island. While Trump didn’t win in the most urban counties, he held a significant edge in suburban counties.

Nationwide, Clinton won the urban core overwhelmingly, but Trump won 75 percent or more of everything else from suburbs to rural counties.

THE GREAT LAKES

Clinton’s large wins in Midwestern cities like Cleveland and Detroit weren’t enough to offset the Trump margins from many more smaller cities and counties. For example, Clinton won seven of Ohio’s 88 counties. She lost the area around Dayton, a medium-sized city that voted for Obama in 2012.

FLORIDA

Clinton held her own in Democratic strongholds in South Florida and Orlando, but Trump flipped St. Petersburg by a slim margin. Trump pulled away with large wins up and down both coasts in areas growing with retirees.

TEXAS AND THE PLAINS

Compared to Trump’s wins in the South, his margins in rural counties in the Great Plains were much higher, consistently winning by more than 50 percentage points. These counties are tiny, but combined, they handed him easy wins through the region.

THE SOUTHWEST

Maricopa County bucks the trend of urban areas voting for Democrats. Like Romney in 2012, Trump narrowly carried the county, netting him by far his largest single county win. The county includes the urban voters in Phoenix but even more conservative suburban voters.

THE NORTHEAST

THE URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE

To no one’s surprise, Clinton won decisively in the Northeast Corridor. Those cities provided huge margins for her from Boston to Washington. Trump’s most notable big-city win was in Suffolk County on Long Island. While Trump didn’t win in the most urban counties, he held a significant edge in suburban counties.

Nationwide, Clinton won the urban core overwhelmingly, but Trump won 75 percent or more of everything else from suburbs to rural counties.

THE GREAT LAKES

Clinton’s large wins in Midwestern cities like Cleveland and Detroit weren’t enough to offset the Trump margins from many more smaller cities and counties. For example, Clinton won seven of Ohio’s 88 counties. She lost the area around Dayton, a medium-sized city that voted for Obama in 2012.

FLORIDA

Clinton held her own in Democratic strongholds in South Florida and Orlando, but Trump flipped St. Petersburg by a slim margin. Trump pulled away with large wins up and down both coasts in areas growing with retirees.

TEXAS AND THE PLAINS

Compared to Trump’s wins in the South, his margins in rural counties in the Great Plains were much higher, consistently winning by more than 50 percentage points. These counties are tiny, but combined, they handed him easy wins through the region.

THE SOUTHWEST

Maricopa County bucks the trend of urban areas voting for Democrats. Like Romney in 2012, Trump narrowly carried the county, netting him by far his largest single county win. The county includes the urban voters in Phoenix but even more conservative suburban voters.