5 numbers that help explain why Donald Trump won Michigan

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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 victory Tuesday 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 that their family’s financial situation was worse than it was four years ago, compared to 15% who said that during the 2020 election: This is evident from exit polls by Edison Research. Additionally, 27% of voters said the economy – a key Trump talking point – mattered most in making their decision. Only 17% mentioned abortion, which was a major issue in the Harris campaign, the exit poll showed.

29

That’s how many percentage points Harris defeated Trump in Wayne County, Michigan’s most populous county and a Democratic stronghold. That’s less than the 38 percentage points that President Joe Biden defeated Trump in 2020. The greatly reduced beating Trump took in Wayne County responsible for much of Trump’s 82,000-vote advantage over Harris statewide.

18

That’s the percentage of the vote that Green Party candidate Jill Stein received in Dearborn on Tuesday, compared to the less than 1% that Stein received statewide. No figure better illustrates the magnitude of anger in some parts of the Michigan community on the Biden administration’s strong support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.

15

That’s how many of the 83 Michigan counties Trump won by 70% or more on Tuesday. It’s nearly 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 victory in Michigan.

9

That’s how many of Michigan’s 83 counties Harris won, compared to 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 writer Kristi Tanner contributed to this report.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected].