Trump carried Tri-Cities in 2016, 2020. How did the MAGA president do against Harris?

Initial Nov. 5 election results in Tri-Cities show former President Donald Trump performed about as well — if not, slightly better — as he did in 2016 against former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Local support for third-party presidential candidates also has waned over the past 12 years as Tri-Citians appear to come to terms with their opinions on Trump.

Despite polls that showed a tight race nationwide, he clinched the White House by flipping Georgia and the Rust Belt states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania for Republicans. Those states gave him more than the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the presidency and a second term.

Support for the president-elect remained strong in the traditionally red Tri-Cities, too.

About 61% of voters in Benton and Franklin counties cast votes this time for Trump, compared to 37% for Vice President Kamala Harris.

That margin of local support — 24 percentage points — is about what he received in 2016. During that election, Trump received 58% to Clinton’s 34%. At that time, about 8% of Tri-Cities voters cast ballots for third-party candidates.

But President Joe Biden narrowed that gap in 2020 to just 20 points. Trump still won the Tri-Cities four years ago with 58% to Biden’s 38%. But about 4% backed third-party candidates in that race.

Voter turnout falls

This year, Washington statewide turnout is expected to be lowest among the past three presidential election years.

While ballots are still being counted, it’s likely nearly 69% of registered voters returned their ballots — that’s about 10 points lower than 2016 and 15 points lower than 2020.

Turnout in Benton and Franklin counties also is lagging.

Just half of registered voters in Franklin County have returned ballots so far, compared to 46% of registered voters in Benton County.

The two counties combined estimate there are more than 35,000 ballots left to count, so those figures are expected to rise. Benton and Franklin counties have counted 84,000 ballots so far.

Despite low turnout, the Evergreen State largely rebuffed MAGA.

Trump gained ground between 2020 and 2024 in all states except for two: Washington and Utah, which Harris gained support in.

Washington voters on Tuesday night also elected current Attorney General Bob Ferguson as governor, extending Democrat control of the governor’s mansion into a fourth straight decade.

Ferguson on election night held a 13-point lead over Dave Reichert, the former U.S. House representative and King County sheriff.

He had 56% to Reichert’s 44% — a slight under performance compared to most political polls conducted in recent weeks.

However, Tri-Cities voters overwhelmingly picked Reichert over Ferguson, with about 65% supporting the Republican candidate in both Benton and Franklin counties.

This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 5:00 AM.

Eric Rosane

Tri-City Herald

509-380-9121

Eric Rosane is the Tri-City Herald’s Civic Accountability Reporter focused on Education and Local Government. Before coming to the Herald in February 2022, he worked at the Daily Chronicle in Lewis County covering schools, floods, fish, dams and the Legislature. He graduated from Central Washington University in 2018.  Support my work with a digital subscription