The weather vane is no longer real.
For nearly a quarter century, voters in Clallam County, Washington — a lush green dot in a far corner of the country — have backed the winner in 11 consecutive presidential elections. This is unparalleled accuracy among more than 3,000 counties nationwide.
But that streak, which dates back to 1980, ended on Tuesday, with voters favoring Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Trump by a decisive 53% to 44% margin. While there are still votes to be counted, Harris’ lead appears certain to remain intact.
This means there are no more bellwether counties in the United States. Before the 2020 election, there were nearly 20.
(You actually visited the county and gauged voter sentiment in September, just after the Trump-Harris debate: At the time, neither candidate was running away from the race, and nearly each was firmly on their side. position.
Marc Abshire, president of the Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce and a Harris supporter, said he was proud of the county’s Democratic gains “but also disappointed that we lost our leadership position as a result.”
“Here, we just don’t have appeal voting like most of the rest of the country,” Abshire said.
Any wounded pride aside, he said there were plenty of reasons to visit the region beyond previous political foresight.
“We are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in the country, if not the world,” Abshire said. “We have the ocean and mile-high mountains in our front and back yards. Our weather is always mild.
People will have to start looking elsewhere for political barometers.
