Primary Results Could Point To Whether Minnesota Is Trending Blue, Purple Or Red
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota isn't as blue as it used to be, at least according to the results of the last presidential election.
In 2016, President Donald Trump won 79 Minnesota counties, compared to Hillary Clinton's eight. (Since most of Clinton's were among the most populous in the state, she won it by a narrow margin.)
WCCO's Pat Kessler has spent the aftermath of that election examining whether Minnesota, which has traditionally been a reliably blue state, is actually swinging toward transforming into a red one. Kessler said the margin by which Trump lost in 2016, a mere 1.5%, represents the closest any Republican has come to winning Minnesota in decades.
This Super Tuesday, Trump is on the Republican primary ballot and there are "Keep America Great" election watch parties across the state.
RELATED: Click here to see results for the 2020 Minnesota primary elections.
There's no contest for the Republican primary ballot, but Republican leaders say Tuesday is a test of the mass organizing they're doing. They are predicting that in 2020, traditionally Democratic Minnesota will go red.
"There are a lot of people who don't necessarily like to say I am solely aligned with this party or I am solely aligned with that party," Minnesota Republican Party chair Jennifer Carnahan said. "I think Minnesotans are very discerning when it comes to voting, and they look at the candidates and the issues that matter to them and they cast their vtoe. But I feel like the state has been trending red over the last few election cycles."
Minnesota hasn't voted for a Republican for President since Richard Nixon in 1972. That's the longest voting streak in the country.
"People that were Trump supporters were almost ashamed or scared, like they couldn't promote it or tell their neighbors or friends or co-workers. It was almost like, 'I have to hide' their support for the president ... and now people are just out there and proud," Carnahan said.