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Stateside Podcast: Why Ohio lost bellwether status

Midstory image of previous Presidents' of the United States
Ruth Chang
/
Courtesy of Midstory
Midstory image of previous Presidents' of the United States

For decades, Ohio was a bellwether state, whose presidential pick signaled who would come out on top nationally. That was true from 1964 until 2020, when Ohio voters picked Donald Trump, but Joe Biden won the presidency. 

This year, the state will be voting on Issue 1, the establishment of the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission. If the initiative is passed, it would completely transform the process through which political districts are drawn.

With many eyes on Ohio, journalists Casey He and Ryan Konarska tracked the changes in the state's political character, from being a national bellwether to consistently voting reliably red in the electoral college. Their analysis can be found on Midstory, the Toledo-based Midwestern storytelling hub.

“Ohio, compared to the rest of the country, is older, whiter, less college-educated. And those variables have very strong correlation, not just favorable preferences for the party, but specifically with Trump.”

Hear their full conversation on the Stateside podcast.

[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or YouTube Music today.]

GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

  • Casey He, Journalism and Political Science student at Northwestern University
  • Ryan Konarska, Managing Editor at The Daily Princetonian
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Ronia Cabansag is a producer for Stateside. She comes to Michigan Public from Eastern Michigan University, where she earned a BS in Media Studies & Journalism and English Linguistics with a minor in Computer Science.
Yesenia Zamora-Cardoso is a production assistant for Stateside.