… Granville County has long been a Democratic stronghold, but it was one of six rural counties in North Carolina that flipped from voting twice for Barack Obama to voting for Trump last year. Local Democrats blame the flip on low turnout, especially among African Americans who make up a third of the county’s population. But local Republicans say it reflects how many in the county feel left behind by Democrats and are looking for a change. …
In interviews last week with nearly three dozen county residents who voted for Trump, nearly all said they vote for the person, not the party. With that emphasis — even if they would never dream of actually voting for a Democrat for president, especially Hillary Clinton — it’s little surprise that many feel more loyalty to Trump than the Republican Party.
Many of the church members gathered at Bojangles’ last week pointed to the president’s Christian faith, saying he brought the Bible and prayer back into the White House. CONT.
Jenna Johnson, Washington Post