Youngstown, Ohio: Why Voters Are Supporting Trump in a Bellwether City

Youngstown, Ohio: Why Voters Are Supporting Trump in a Bellwether City
​1/27/2017

Autumn leaves colour the wooded hills along Ohio’s State Route 82 and the blue signs promoting presidential candidates along the verge pop against the scarlet and lemon foliage. Some pollsters have Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in a statistical tie in Ohio but the signs in this north-eastern corner of the state suggest this is Trump country.
Once a Democratic stronghold in a state that can make or break a presidential bid, Mahoning County, which encompasses the city of Youngstown and its environs, is lagging behind in the economic recovery. And its business leaders are keen to tell you why another four years of the same could cost them even more.
Nick Strimbu Inc has been trucking goods across the US from Brookfield, 12 miles north-east of Youngstown, since 1926. Outside its headquarters, a giant roadside electronic sign leaves little doubt as to whom its boss isn’t backing. “Defeat Crooked Hillary”, the sign flashes at passing traffic, 24 hours a day. President Bill Strimbu’s receptionist has a sign on her door that reads “Hillary For Prison 2016”.

The Guardian