Article snippet: Back to the Battleground series. Erie County on the western edge of the state, which swung by more than 16 points. Trump appealed to traditionally Democratic union voters with his message of bringing back jobs to the area and many bucked union leaders in supporting him over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Even though Trump has failed to jumpstart manufacturing, a local construction boom has boosted the economy and may help the president overcome his low popularity there. Hazleton was a hotbed of racial tension. The mayor led a campaign to drive out undocumented immigrants in the former mining and manufacturing town that had long been home to European immigrants. But in recent years, waves of Latinos moved to Hazleton, attracted by good jobs and affordable housing. With this diversity has come a new level of understanding and acceptance, while also causing a major shift in the city’s politics from Republican to Democrat. Given the changing demographics, President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric has made him unpopular here heading into the 2020 election. Lordstown this year cost thousands of jobs after Trump promised to save US manufacturing. But few people in Lordstown and the surrounding area blamed Trump for the region’s economic woes — not even Democrats. That’s partly for localized reasons (the plant’s troubles predate Trump’s presidency) but it suggests it may be harder for Democrats than they think to lay the economic troubles on Trump. Portsmouth, a group of fr... Link to the full article to read more