Small county stood proudly as Americas last bellwether - until Trump came along...
The small Washington state county that has successfully picked the winner of the past 11 presidential elections has officially lost its title as Americas last bellwether.
The small Washington state county that has successfully picked the winner of the past 11 presidential elections has officially lost its title as Americas last bellwether.
Bellwether counties are known as areas where the majority of voters choose the winner of elections regardless of party.
Located on the far northwest tip of Washington about two hours from Seattle, Clallam County had got every election right since 1980 - until now.
Donald Trump pulled off a remarkable victory in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris with a red wave across key swing states.
But the majority of voters in Clallam County voted for Harris to win, and she leads in the county by 11 points, according to KING 5.
Clallam County, Washington successfully picked the winner of the past 11 presidential elections - until now
In October, DailyMail.com visited the small, rural region of the country where the tight nature of the 2024 election was on full display
While the results are not yet official, over 35,000 ballots have been counted and 12,000 remain.
Census data shows the countys population was 77,616 in 2023, and there was a reported 59.8 percent voter turnout for the 2024 election.
The local news outlet reported that Clallam County voters largely favored Democratic candidates this election, with more voters picking Bob Ferguson for governor, Nick Brown for attorney general and Emily Randall for the District 6 representative seat.
Between Ronald Reagans win in 1980 and Donald Trumps victory in 2016, just 19 of the several thousand counties across the country always picked the winner.
Then in 2020, 18 of them stuck with Trump, who lost the election. Only Clallam County voted for Joe Biden.
The majority of voters in Clallam County voted for Harris to win, and she leads in the county by 11 points
Donald Trump pulled off a remarkable victory in the 2024 presidential election, defeating the vice president
In October, DailyMail.com visited the small, rural region of the country where the tight nature of the 2024 election was on full display.
‘I think one of the things that makes us different from a lot of places is we are still a small town at 70,000 people,’ said Clallam County Republican Party Chair Pam Blakeman, who has lived in the community for more than 40 years. ‘I cant go to the grocery store without running into somebody I know.’
Port Angeles is the largest city in the county and is home to around 20,000 residents. Based on the signage around town, it appears deeply purple.
Visitors heading west into town on Highway 101 are met with a series of Harris-Walz yard signs, shortly before a massive Trump-Vance banner shows up in the same stretch of field.
‘I think people are careful to remember that we are all neighbors here living, working and playing on the peninsula, and so for the most part, we try and be respectful of everybody’s views,’ said Erin Kirkland who is on the marketing team for the Dungeness Crab Festival.
The count is also home to Forks, Washington, of Twilight fame, where the books and movies are set
There were numerous signs for both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump throughout the county
The county is also home to Forks, Washington, of Twilight fame. The vampire books and blockbuster movies were set in the town of less than 4,000 and fans pilgrimage to the area on a regular basis.
However, besides the name and a few referenced locations, the town bears little resemblance to the one featured in the movie franchise with a surprising number of Trump signs plaster around.
