5 numbers that help explain why Donald Trump won Michigan
Numbers don't tell the whole story of an election, but they often help.
Here are five numbers that help explain former President Donald Trump's Tuesday win in Michigan over Vice President Kamala Harris, which came as a surprise to some.
45
That's the percentage of Michigan voters who said Tuesday their family's financial situation was worse than it was four years ago, compared to 15% who said that during the 2020 election, according to exit polls conducted by Edison Research. Also, 27% of voters said the economy — a big Trump talking point — mattered most in making their decision. Only 17% cited abortion, which was a major issue in the Harris campaign, the exit poll showed.
29
That's the number of percentage points Harris beat Trump by in Wayne County, which is Michigan's most populous county and a Democratic stronghold. That's down from the 38 percentage points President Joe Biden beat Trump by in 2020. The greatly reduced thrashing Trump received in Wayne County accounts for a big share of Trump's 82,000-vote advantage over Harris statewide.
18
That's the percentage of the vote Green Party candidate Jill Stein received in Dearborn Tuesday, compared to the less than 1% Stein received statewide. No number better illustrates the extent of anger in some parts of the Michigan community over the Biden administration's strong support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.
15
That's how many of Michigan's 83 counties Trump won by 70% or more on Tuesday. It's almost double the eight counties Trump won by 70% or better in 2020, when he faced Biden. Improving his performance in counties that already reliably vote Republican was also a key to Trump's Michigan win.
9
That's how many of Michigan's 83 counties Harris won, down from the 11 President Joe Biden won when he was the statewide winner in 2020. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won only eight counties when she lost the state to Trump.
Free Press staff writer Kristi Tanner contributed to this report.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 5 numbers that help explain why Donald Trump won Michigan