MI: Kent County's vote for Democratic governor breaks decades-long streak

[RandySF]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- For the first time in at least two decades, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate has won Kent County.

Voters across the county turned out in favor of Governor-elect Gretchen Whitmer over Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette by a vote of 140,855 to 129,549, according to unofficial election results.

According to online state election records that date back as far as 1998, the Democratic win is the first in at least 20 years for the county.

Longtime Michigan political pundit Bill Ballenger, who publishes The Ballenger Report, said he's not surprised the misconceived Republican stronghold followed much of the state.

Ballenger labelled Kent County a "marginally-Republican county" that, in the "right circumstances," can swing the other way.

Some of the factors in play last night, according to Ballenger, was Whitmer's strong momentum across the state and a pushback against President Donald Trump, who backed Schuette.



https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2018/11/whitmers_kent_county_win_is_fi.html

[Buckeyeblue]

1. I've always considered Grand Rapids to be more than slightly Repug

West Michigan is crazy conservative except for pockets of Kalamazoo.

[pamdb]

2. Kent county

Actually the city of Grand Rapids usually votes democratic. We pretty much consistently have a democratic mayor. The problem has always been the surrounding areas:Walker, East Grand Rapids,
Rockford, that brings us down. But I was really happy, for the first time in 2 years that we went blue with Gretchen Whitmer, Winnie Brinks from representative to senator and Rachel Hood taking her place as representative. And, of course, POT! Now if we could just get rid of Justin Amash....