Breaking down 20 years of election data that shows how the two parties have evolved in the Trump era

Main Idea: The article shows how Donald Trump’s rise changed the Republican Party by shifting it toward white working-class and rural voters, while Democrats gained ground in bigger, more urban and suburban places.

Key Points:

• Over the last 20 years, the biggest Republican gains came in Appalachian counties that are mostly white, less educated, poorer, and more likely to rely on public aid.
• One example is Elliott County, Kentucky, which moved sharply right from 2004 to 2024 and ended up giving Trump a much larger share of the vote.
• Since 2016, GOP gains have also been strong in many Hispanic counties in Texas and other parts of the South and West, showing Trump’s improved standing with Hispanic voters.
• Democratic gains have been strongest in larger, wealthier, more educated counties, especially in metro Atlanta, northern Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and parts of the Midwest.