FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Exit poll results showed voters anxious about their economic future and clamoring for change drove Republican Donald Trump to victory in Kentucky, where many blame a deep slump in its coal-mining industry on the policies of President Barack Obama.
Polling data indicated Trump harnessed overwhelming support from white voters, as well as from all age groups and income levels, in trouncing Democrat Hillary Clinton in Kentucky, a state that has gone for the Republican nominee in every presidential contest since 2000.
Here’s a look at some of the voters’ views, according to results of exit polling conducted in Kentucky for The Associated Press and the television networks:
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IT’S THE ECONOMY, FOLKS
In a state with a hard-hit coal-mining industry, about 5 in 10 voters said the economy was the most important issue confronting the nation. Terrorism, immigration and foreign policy took a distant backseat in many voters’ minds in Kentucky. Of those who saw economic worries as most pressing, voters split into two large camps between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Kentucky voters also were asked if they thought life for the next generation would be better, worse or the same. Of those who saw things as getting worse, nearly 8 in 10 voted for Trump. Even among those who felt things would be the same or better for the next generation, about half also sided with the Republican.
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A PRESIDENT WHO CAN BRING CHANGE?
For more than half of Kentucky’s voters, a president who can bring about “needed change” was the single most important quality they sought in a candidate. And of that group, nearly 9 in 10 voted for Trump.
Qualities such as experience, good judgment and a president “who cares about people like me” trailed far behind in many voters’ minds when they considered the key trait they sought in a leader.
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WHO VOTED FOR WHO?
A predominantly white voting bloc solidly backed Trump by a ratio of nearly 7 in 10 while among those identifying themselves as non-white, three-quarters cast ballots for Clinton. About three-quarters of male voters in Kentucky chose Trump, compared to about half of all women.
Voters of all ages from 18 to 65 and older favored Trump by at least 6 to 10. His support also reached 6-in-10 for annual income levels between $30,000 and about $200,000. Half of those making less than $30,000 a year sided with Trump, but only about 3 in 10 of those chose Clinton and the rest was divided among minor candidates.
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The survey of 1,099 voters was conducted for AP and the television networks by Edison Research. This includes results from interviews conducted as voters left a random sample of 20 precincts statewide Tuesday. Results for the full sample were subject to sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.
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