There’s A Big Focus On Suburbs, But Democrats See Potential Gains Farther Out

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Grandmother Cindy Carroll, daughter Lauren Harrah and 11-month-old granddaughter Austin are headed to a local antique store in the historic district of Waxhaw, N.C. Carroll and Harrah aren’t totally sold on President Trump, but they will vote for him over Joe Biden.

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Union County resident Steve Smith, 50, was a lifelong Republican until President Trump came along. This year, he’ll vote for the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden.

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Dan Barry is a Union County resident and longtime Republican official. He thinks the staunch Republican exurb outside Charlotte will hold on to its overwhelming support for Trump.

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Dan Barry is a Union County resident and longtime Republican official. He thinks the staunch Republican exurb outside Charlotte will hold on to its overwhelming support for Trump.

Claudia Grisales/NPR

But politics professor Michael Bitzer at Catawba College says he’s also seeing signs of softening Republican support in Union County, and that could spell larger trouble for Trump.

«That to me sends a signal that maybe there’s slippage in other staunch Republican suburban counties,» Bitzer said. «And that’s where the Republican base is.»

Back at the historic district in Waxhaw, three generations — grandmother Cindy Carroll, daughter Lauren Harrah and 11-month-old granddaughter Austin — are about to visit the local antique store.

Carroll and Harrah are not Biden fans.

«It’s like he’s relying too much on his team, telling him what to do,» Harrah, 29, said.

Harrah and her mom are not completely happy with Trump; they say he’s too fixated on social media. And Carroll worries he tries to be front and center too much. They’re also worried about the coronavirus.

But Carroll is betting Trump is the right candidate to get the U.S. back to what she believes were better times, including a stronger economy, at the start of the year.

«Unemployment was down, and, you know, everything was looking really good,» Carroll, 55, said. «So I am praying that if he gets reelected, that that is kind of where we will head back to after COVID gets resolved.»