Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in McLean County—the first time a Democrat has won here since Barack Obama in 2008.
Biden was leading with 52% of the vote, or a 3,300-vote margin, over Trump, according to preliminary tallies early Wednesday. Biden performed best in the City of Bloomington.
Overall turnout hit 75.5% in McLean County (including Bloomington voters). That beat the 73% turnout recorded in 2016, during the last presidential election, but it fell short of the 80% mark that some local election officials expected.
Trump’s loss in McLean County is a shift from four years ago when he narrowly beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton here by around 1,100 votes (or a 1.5% margin). Eight years ago, Republican Mitt Romney defeated President Barack Obama with 55% of the vote.
Prior to Tuesday, the Republican candidate had won McLean County in 36 of the past 41 presidential elections, according to the McLean County Museum of History. The last time a Democrat won the county was then-Illinois Sen. Obama in 2008, when he beat Republican John McCain here by less than 1,000 votes. Before that, the last Democratic winner was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, when he beat Republican Barry Goldwater in McLean County by 430 votes.
McLean County has supported the national winner in 31 of 47 presidential elections. The county has backed the top statewide vote getter in 32 of 47 races.
Presidential History
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