‘Very much a swing county’: Experts eyeing Richmond County on election night

RICHMOND COUNTY, N.C. — Richmond County has a population of 45,000 people and is an area to watch on election night. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, 44% of registered voters have already cast their ballots in Richmond County.

The county is one of 206 counties nationwide that voted for President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 and President Donald Trump in 2016, according to Ballotpedia.

Obama beat candidate John McCain by one point in 2008 and candidate Mitt Romney by three points in 2012 in Richmond County. In 2016, Trump beat candidate Hillary Clinton by 10 points. But Democrats in 2018 won when Dan McCready beat Mark Harris by two points. The success was short-lived, because in 2019, Dan Bishop beat McCready by five points.

“It certainly indicates to me that Richmond County is very much a swing county,” said Michael Bitzer, a political expert and Catawba College professor.

Bitzer said Black voter turnout is the key to success in Richmond County. Richmond County voters will sway who is elected, although it is small. Several races are projected to be close.

“Richmond is a fairly small county, typically under 20,000 votes. But that kind of a county with those kinds of numbers really can make or break depending on who shows up,” Bitzer said.

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Political expert and Wingate professor Dr. Chelsea Kaufman studies rural voter patterns. She said Richmond is a good example of why rural counties can’t be painted with a broad brush.

“Rural voters are not necessarily monolithic,” Kaufman said. “I think there is evidence this rural-urban divide is increasing in recent years, but it is not necessarily every red area is red.”

Kaufman expects economic hardship due to the pandemic to be a major motivating factor for rural voters.

In Ellerbe, on the side of a consignment shop, a sign hangs stating, “Wash your hands. Say your prayers, because Jesus and germs are everywhere.”

Down the street is a church that is being used for early voting.

Chris Jackson, who cast his vote on Wednesday, said COVID-19 is his No. 1 issue.

“It’s time,” he said. “People really want change now. They are tired of what is going on.”

Outside of a church on Main Street, Ronda Crouch was handing out nonperishable items at a drive-up food pantry. Crouch said she isn’t surprised after hearing about Richmond County’s voting history.

[Supreme Court leaves NC absentee ballot deadline at Nov. 12]

“We don’t always look at the category they fall upon,” she said. “We look at what they stand for.”

Voters continued to show up at a Rockingham polling station near a park on Wednesday night until the polls closed.

Outside the precinct, candidate for county commission, Michael LeGrand, said enthusiasm feels like 2008 in Richmond County.

“I think there is going to be a record turnout for this election,” he said.

Richmond County will be on the national stage on Friday. President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump is scheduled to visit Ellerbe.

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