Trump popular in region while Clinton claims state
Southwestern Pennsylvania voters flocked to the polls Tuesday, with those in Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties overwhelmingly selecting GOP nominee Donald J. Trump.
Throughout the night, Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton traded slight leads — sometimes only tenths of a percentage point. Several hours after the polls closed, pundits still felt Pennsylvania was too close to call.
With 61 of 80 precincts reporting, Trump received 63.95 percent of the votes in Fayette County. Voters in Greene echoed similar results with Trump securing 62.0 percent of the votes as all of the precincts reported unofficially, while Clinton secured 35.4 percent.
Voters also appeared to stand with Trump as he got 60.3 and 63.9 percent of the votes in Washington and Westmoreland counties, respectively. All of Washington County’s 176 precincts had reported as of 11 p.m. In Westmoreland County, 297 of the county’s 306 precincts reported the unofficial results.
Though a majority of the region’s voters supported Trump according to unofficial results, Clinton received 33.82 percent of the votes in Fayette County with 76.25 percent of the districts reporting.
Washington and Westmoreland county voters gave Clinton 35.2 and 32.14 percent of their votes respectively, according to unofficial results.
“This is an election unlike any that has occurred. They’ll be writing books about this election for years, because of the lack of civility. It’s no holds barred. It’s been in the gutter,” Washington County Democratic party chairman Ron Sicchitano said recently. “There are no champions. The lesser of two evils will be elected.”
Fayette County Reagan Republican Committee Chairman Russ Rhodes said previously that he felt that it was the Republican message of small government that prompted people to pull for Trump.
“Eight years ago, Republicans changed party affiliation in the primaries so they could vote against Hillary in an attempt to keep her out of the White House,” Rhodes said. “I think, in a sense we are seeing the same thing with this election. (New voters) are excited about the possibility of true change with the Washington Beltway outsider Donald Trump who speaks his mind and doesn’t care for political correctness.”
Trump won neighboring West Virginia and Ohio, while Clinton claimed Maryland.