A State Divided

A State Divided

When broken down county by county, the results from election night show a clear divide in North Dakota.[1] The eastern side is solidly blue whereas the western part of the state leaned more red. What caused this difference?

As can be seen when examining the campaign finance records, there was a clear divide between which professions supported which candidates. Heitkamp mainly had the support of university employees and lawyers whereas Berg won over the energy and business sectors. This translated into a divide on how different areas of the state voted as well. The oil and natural gas is concentrated near the western border and the major universities are clustered on the eastern half of the state.

Eastern North Dakota, where the universities are located, swung for Heitkamp whereas Berg fared better on the western front, where oil is a larger part of the economy.[2]

This division is not surprising when looked at in conjunction with sources of campaign contributions. The following tables from NPR’s Open Secrets show the top ten contributors by industry. Education and unions (which teachers also fall into) financially supported Heitkamp whereas Oil and Gas, as well as other business interests, supported Berg:[3]