Inside the only county that's predicted the last 11 presidents - and who they are voting for in the 2024 election

Tucked distant successful the acold northwest country of state conscionable earlier the cliffs driblet disconnected into the Pacific Ocean lies America's past existent bellwether county.

A decidedly purple place, the small, agrarian portion of Clallam County successful Washington boasts an unmatched grounds of voting for each statesmanlike election victor since Ronald Reagan successful 1980. 

This is the longest occurrence streak of immoderate of America's 3,143 counties.

Now each eyes are connected this unassuming region erstwhile again to spot which mode the upwind is blowing for 2024, arsenic vice president Kamala Harris faces disconnected against erstwhile president Donald Trump successful a divisive, cervix and cervix race.

When traveling crossed Clallam County, the choky quality of the 2024 predetermination is connected afloat display. 

Visitors heading westbound into municipality connected Highway 101 are met with a bid of Harris-Walz gait signs, soon earlier a monolithic Trump-Vance banner shows up successful the aforesaid agelong of field.

But portion authorities astatine a nationalist standard person go toxic, successful this tiny assemblage where Democrats and Republicans person lived broadside by broadside for decades, residents person succeeded successful keeping a calm caput - oregon avoiding talking authorities altogether.

‘I deliberation 1 of the things that makes america antithetic from a batch of places is we are inactive a tiny municipality astatine 70,000 people,’ said Clallam County Republican Party Chair Pam Blakeman, who has lived successful the assemblage for much than 40 years. ‘I can't spell to the market store without moving into idiosyncratic I know.’

Both her neighbors connected either broadside are Democrats. They stock plot produce. 

In immoderate ways she said the constitution of the assemblage makes them much communicative, but determination are topics they besides bash not speech about. One of them being Trump.

Port Angeles is the largest metropolis successful the region and is location to astir 20,000 residents. Based connected the signage astir town, it appears profoundly purple. 

At the Dungeness Crab Festival successful the bosom of town, section voters could beryllium recovered from some sides of the aisle, with attendees spotted sporting some Democrat and Republican statesmanlike gear.

One passerby was overheard complimenting a man's Trump hat. Another antheral had connected a camo Harris-Walz cap. With conscionable implicit 20 days to spell earlier Election Day, aggregate radical sported Trump and Harris t-shirts.

The festival has been going connected annually since 2003 and much than 10,000 radical were expected to halt by implicit the people of 3 cleanable autumn days.

‘I deliberation radical are cautious to retrieve that we are each neighbors present living, moving and playing connected the peninsula, and truthful for the astir part, we effort and beryllium respectful of everybody’s views,’ said Erin Kirkland who is connected the selling squad for the festival.

When it comes to Kirkland’s idiosyncratic politics, she is simply a Democrat and volition beryllium supporting Harris successful November. 

The astir important issues for her are wellness attraction and a woman’s close to choose.

‘We’re feeling beauteous bully astir it,’ she said of the election. ‘However, we saw what’s happened previously, truthful I won’t accidental we’re not nervous, we are.’

Her remark was echoed by others supporting the Democratic ticket. While Republicans are projecting confidence, Democrats are fearful.

Republican Chris Anderson, a retiree, felt beingness was amended with Trump successful office.

‘He tin beryllium a small spot difficult, but I liked his policies erstwhile helium was successful office,’ Anderson said. She mentioned amerciable migration arsenic a apical contented for her.

Marcus Gunderson voted for Trump 2016 and 2020 and volition enactment him again successful November. He retired successful 2020 but came retired of status again successful 2022.

‘The outgo of surviving is truthful outrageous that it takes 4 of america successful 1 location to enactment ourselves. It's horrendous,’ helium said. ‘Trump has each the answers.’

But Kellyanne Kirk disagreed. While immoderate voters similar to reason the system was amended nether Trump, she rejected blaming challenges stemming from the pandemic connected President Biden and noted shortage spending besides accrued nether his predecessor. Kirk besides pointed retired her 401K is doing rather well.

‘My status is doing fabulous close now, and it's been amended than it was nether Trump,’ she said with a smile.

She said if it were Nikki Haley oregon precocious Senator John McCain running, she would beryllium voting for a Republican, but she volition ballot for Harris successful November due to the fact that she does not spot Trump. Her hubby Ray Kirk agreed.

‘I'll ballot for Harris. In presumption of credential, competency, experience. She has it hands down implicit Donald Trump, helium said. ‘Donald Trump does person his competencies, but they're not successful moving the authorities oregon bringing radical unneurotic astatine all, and I judge his interests are not successful the interests of the people.’

When it comes to moving arsenic a Republican successful the region itself, candidates person been keeping it local.

On Saturday, region Republicans held their Oktoberfest campaigner lawsuit astatine the Fairview Grange. GOP men and women of each ages showed up to perceive candidates talk astir a fig of issues and inquire their ain questions.

More than a fistful of attendees were wearing Trump hats oregon shirts. But the speech and questions stay mostly focused connected issues impacting the assemblage specified arsenic the outgo of living, lodging and homelessness and the fentanyl crisis.

Kara Selby, from Sequim, is 1 of the radical who showed up. In the statesmanlike election, she volition ballot for Trump and praised what she called his ‘strong leadership.’

She is feeling beauteous optimistic that Trump volition travel retired connected apical and claimed much radical are expressing enactment for Trump the erstwhile president than successful erstwhile years. 

But Democrats determination importune enthusiasm has remained beardown since the shingle up astatine the apical of their summons with Harris taking implicit for Biden successful July.

Christy Holy is simply a unpaid with the region Democrats and has been surviving successful the region for 8 years. 

She said the feeling aft Biden’s statement show was ‘disappointment’ and ‘fear’ but with Harris taking the reins, she said radical became truly excited.

There person been questions connected whether the enthusiasm implicit Harris has stalled retired nationally, but Holy said excitement remains up successful Clallam County.

‘It’s been constant. We’re inactive getting people. We’ve had to bid signs respective times due to the fact that we support moving retired of them,’ she said.

Holy said radical successful the assemblage instrumentality authorities earnestly and truly attraction astir what is going on. 

The apical issues erstwhile she’s retired knocking connected doors has been the soaring outgo of lodging and radical expressing concerns implicit reproductive rights. 

Republican authorities Senate campaigner Marcia Kelbon has besides been retired knocking connected doors, immoderate 7,000 of them successful the territory truthful far. 

For her, the fig 1 contented that comes up is the system including what Democrats retired canvassing person besides been proceeding about: the outgo of housing.

There is simply a important older colonisation connected fixed incomes successful the country wherever higher costs person been a superior burden. 

There are besides young radical who cannot spend homes successful the portion with prices going up.

When it comes to the statesmanlike race, Kelbon said she voted for Nikki Haley successful the Republican statesmanlike primary. But she would not stock who she plans to ballot for successful November. 

She claimed she has been focused wholly connected her ain contention and staying local. She besides criticized the divisiveness she's seen successful the statesmanlike race.

Kelbon cannot beryllium definite which mode the contention is headed successful the county. Ahead of the archetypal statesmanlike debate, her run commissioned polling that showed Trump starring Harris successful the territory which includes parts of Clallam County. But since past determination has been notable changes successful the race.

‘I person nary idea. I truly don’t,’ she said of what she expects. ‘If I was capable to telephone bets similar that I would person mode much wealth successful the slope from buying stock.’

But caput retired of Port Angeles into much agrarian parts of the county, and the portion appears to crook a deeper shadiness of red.

Along winding roads are Trump flags and signs. But astatine 1 distant location, idiosyncratic indispensable person pulled implicit on the road to overgarment an 'x' crossed a ample motion for the erstwhile president.

About an hr southwest from Port Angeles is Forks, Washington, of Twilight fame. The vampire books and blockbuster movies were acceptable successful the municipality of little than 4,000 and fans pilgrimage to the country connected a regular basis.

Storefronts on the Main Street person posters of characters Bella Swan and Edward Cullen successful windows and merchantability a assortment of Twilight inspired merchandise. 

Visitors tin spot the pickup motortruck Swan drove parked extracurricular the visitant halfway oregon plaything by the Swan House to instrumentality pictures.

But too the sanction and a fewer referenced locations, the municipality bears small resemblance to the 1 featured successful the movie franchise. Based connected the fig of signs alone, it feels similar Trump country.

People successful Forks are acold little inclined to speech politics. But astatine the diner The In Place, a fewer radical were consenting to springiness it a go. They excessively reflected connected a region divided.

Server Kim, 39, said she and her hubby are each successful for Trump successful November.

‘I’m voting for Trump due to the fact that I privation to spot changes made,’ she said but declined to stock specifics. ‘I consciousness helium is the lone campaigner that tin determination guardant with that change.’

‘I consciousness similar erstwhile you unrecorded here, it’s astir similar we don't matter,’ she added. ‘Our voices aren't heard arsenic overmuch retired here, but radical person beardown beliefs, and they basal by that.’

But Sandy, who was determination enjoying lunch, said she would beryllium voting for Harris arsenic the lone ‘sane’ choice.

‘The happening that bothers maine is that radical who enactment Trump person nary thought successful my sentiment that they’re not going to get thing that they deliberation Trump is going to springiness them,’ she said. ‘I deliberation they’ll beryllium the astir disappointed radical successful the satellite if helium gets elected.’

Sandy believes Trump volition assistance the affluent and himself, but she worries Democrats request to bash much truthful radical wherever she lives bash not consciousness ignored.

‘I person a batch of Trump friends that are fantastic people, and I don't privation to spot them written disconnected by anybody,’ she said. ‘We're bully people. We request to travel together. We request to find commonality. We request to perceive to each other, and I don't cognize however to marque that happen,’ Sandy said.

Twenty minutes extracurricular Forks, and visitors deed the formation successful La Push, besides featured successful Twilight. It sits connected Quileute Tribal land. 

At slightest 1 location determination has a Harris motion prominently displayed retired beforehand connected a truck. It was the lone Harris motion spotted successful the country aft hours of driving.

But adjacent backmost successful Port Angeles, questions stay astir Harris’ quality to fastener down the region conscionable arsenic the contention nationally is looking similar a nail-biter. And determination is different chartless adaptable successful play this fall.

Outside Crab Fest, Ron Coffman was handing retired t-shirts that beforehand Robert Kennedy Jr. for president. 

The shirts are leftovers from the Independent candidate’s statesmanlike bid earlier helium suspended his run and endorsed Trump. A Trump sticker had been slapped connected the beforehand of each t-shirt.

Coffman was going to ballot for Kennedy successful November. He was ne'er truly a Trump protagonist and described him arsenic the benignant of idiosyncratic helium would not privation astatine his house. But present helium plans connected voting for the Republican nominee for president.

‘I volition present due to the fact that that puts Bobby [Kennedy] successful a presumption to really marque the changes that America needs, not conscionable what I want,’ helium said.

It is not wide if determination are capable Kennedy supporters to sway the result successful this bellwether alone, but Coffman’s array of Kennedy turned Trump t-shirts has been a fashionable halt for festival-goers.