President-Elect Donald Trump received more votes from several key groups than former Republican nominees Mitt Romney and John McCain received in their elections. According to exit polls and vote counts as of November 15, Mr. Trump won more votes with African-Americans, Latinos, Independents, white Evangelical Christians, and voters living in the suburbs and rural areas compared to the two Republican candidates before him.
Mr. Trump won 1.3 million African American votes (to Romney’s 1 million and McCain’s 683,336); 4.2 million Latino votes (to Romney’s 3.5 million and McCain’s 3.7 million); 13.8 million rural votes (to Romney’s 11 million and McCain’s 9.8 million); 19.5 million Independents (to Romney’s 18.7 million and McCain’s 16.8 million); 27.6 million votes from white Evangelical Christians (to Romney’s 26.2 million and McCain’s 25.3 million); and 32.1 million suburban votes (to Romney’s 30.4 million and McCain’s 30.9 million).
Mr. Trump fell short of the 2012 and 2008 Republican vote totals with women (Trump: 28.6 million, Romney: 30.1 million; McCain: 30 million) and those with a high school degree or less (Trump: 12 million; Romney: 14.3 million; McCain: 13.9 million). He beat Mr. Romney’s totals with Catholics (15.7 million to Romney’s 15.5 million), but just missed McCain’s 2008 total (McCain won 16 million Catholic votes).
The economy drove most voters to Mr. Trump (he won almost 3/4th of the 63% of the electorate who believe the state of the economy to be not good or poor). He should build on his success with these key groups with a strong focus on this issue they care most about – the economy.
