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A higher percentage of voters supported Donald Trump in West Virginia than in any other state, according to the Cook Political Report’s 2016 National Popular Vote Tracker.
Two of every three West Virginia voters chose Trump – 68.6 percent. That narrowly beats out the next pro-Trump states: Wyoming (68.2 percent), Oklahoma (65.3 percent), North Dakota (63.0 percent) and Kentucky (62.5 percent).
All these states are top energy producers (2. Wyoming, 4. West Virginia, 5. Oklahoma, 6. North Dakota, 12. Kentucky).
West Virginia also experienced the second-biggest shift toward the GOP nominee, comparing the 2012 and 2016 elections.
The margin of victory for Trump in West Virginia was 15.4 percent higher than Mitt Romney’s margin over President Obama in 2012. Only North Dakota saw a bigger shift toward the GOP candidate (16.1 percent.)
Finally, more voters turned out for the 2016 election in West Virginia – despite the fact the population in the state is steady at best and may even be in decline, according to the U.S. Census.
The total number of votes in the Presidential election grew by 6.4 percent in West Virginia. That’s not the highest of the states, but more than the national average of 5.2 percent.
Trump and Clinton each made one big public trip to West Virginia during the campaign. Neither spent much money in the state, although some state residents saw TV advertising from neighboring swing states.
The Cook Political Report’s 2016 National Popular Vote Tracker is being updated daily and the figures for West Virginia are not yet certified as of the time of publication and could be adjusted.
