The suburbs helped elect Biden. Can they give Democrats the Senate, too?
President Trump bet his re-election on a very specific vision of the American suburb: a 2020 edition of Mayfield from “Leave It to Beaver” in which residents are white, resent minorities, and prioritize their economic well-being over all other concerns.
The bet fell far short. Mr. Trump lost ground with suburban voters across the country. And particularly in Georgia, where rapidly changing demographics have made it the most racially diverse political battleground in the country, his pitch has been at odds with reality.
From the inner suburbs surrounding Atlanta and extending to the traditionally conservative exurbs, Democrats benefited from two big changes: Black, Latino and Asian residents moving into formerly white communities and an increase in the number of white, college-educated moderates and conservatives who have soured on Mr. Trump.
Those factors helped President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. become the first Democrat to win Georgia since 1992. And Senate runoff elections in January will test whether those Biden voters backed his agenda or simply sought to remove a uniquely divisive incumbent.
Though Mr. Trump is not on the ballot next month, he is very much involved in the race, and has not moderated his message despite his chastening at the ballot box. The hope is, to some degree, that the pitch that fell short with suburban voters last month will work when Democratic control of the Senate is at stake. [Continue reading…]