US presidential election results in Fayette County and Somerset County (1968 – 2016). Data on percent of votes for Democratic and Republic candidates from Wikipedia.
Fayette County was Democratic-leaning in the past but has been trending towards the Republicans since 1996. “The county used to be a center of coal mining and coke production in the mid-19th century. From the 1880s to the early 1900s, the area experienced great expansion in steel production, and by World War II, Fayette County had a new unionized working class that enjoyed increased prosperity. In the 1950s, however, the coal industry fell into decline. In the 1970s, the restructuring and collapse of American steel resulted in a massive loss of industrial jobs and hard times in the area. The loss of union jobs caused many working families to drop out of the middle class. Only a few mines are being worked in the 21st century, but natural resources remain crucial to the local economy. The region is slowly transitioning toward the service sector, with an increase in jobs in fields such as telemarketing. A study released in 2009 by PathWays PA, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, found that 35% of families in Fayette County were economically distressed, that is, failing to earn a wage that would adequately provide food, shelter, child care, health care, and other basic necessities. The racial makeup of the county was 93.30% White, 4.71% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races. 1.38% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.”
Somerset County has been consistently Republic-leaning and socially conservative with a dominant white population. “Its rich history includes agriculture and mining. The racial makeup of the county was 97.39% White, 1.59% Black or African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. “
US presidential election results in Pennsylvania (1968 – 2016). It shows a convergence toward red color over time in Western Pennsylvania with the exception of Allegheny County where Pittsburgh – the second largest city in Pennsylvania only behind Philadelphia – is located. Also note that before 2000 results were sensitive to individual candidates across all the counties not just along the party line. Maps from Wikipedia.