Alabama Republicans won a resounding victory in the 2020 general election. Tommy Tuberville unseated Democratic incumbent Sen. Doug Jones, Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh was re-elected to another four years as Public Service Commission president, Republicans held on to six congressional districts, and Donald Trump won the state resoundingly.
Alabama Democrats and Republicans obviously look at the world differently, and according to exit polling, they even look different. Trump was the overwhelming preference of white people in Alabama. Black people preferred Joe Biden as president by even a larger percentage.
Trump won the state of Alabama 62.3 percent to Biden’s 36.3 percent. Libertarian Jo Jorgenson won 0.2 percent of the vote.
Trump and Tuberville carried 54 Alabama counties while Biden and Jones carried just 13 counties. The Democratic counties were: Jefferson, Montgomery, Bullock, Greene, Macon, Dallas, Marion, Perry, Sumter, Wilcox, Lowndes, Russell, and Marengo.
The strongest county for Tuberville was Winston County, where he won 88.3 percent of the vote. The strongest county for Jones was Greene County, where Jones won 85 percent. Donald Trump won 90.5 percent of the vote in Winston and Biden won 81.5 percent of the vote in Greene.
In the exit polling, Trump received 72 percent support among white people and 10 percent among Black people. Biden got 27 percent support from white people and 90 percent support from Black people.
The gender differences were relatively small in the exit poll with 59 percent of Alabama males in the sample preferring Trump, while 38 percent voted for Biden. At least 56 percent of the females in the sample voted for Trump, while 43 percent voted for Biden.
White men in the sample voted for Trump 71 percent to 26 percent for Biden. White women voted 77 percent for Trump and 22 percent for Biden. Black men preferred Biden 84 percent and Trump just 15 percent. And 94 percent of Black women in the exit polling voted for Biden. Just six percent voted for Trump.
Young people also preferred Biden. Among those voters 18 to 29, 56 percent voted for Biden while just 39 percent voted for Trump. Trump won among voters age 30 to 44 with 53 percent voting for Trump and 43 percent going to Biden. Voters age 45 to 62 preferred Trump 58 to 40 percent. And 75 percent of voters age 63 and over voted for Trump. Only 26 percent voted for Biden.
Trump did best with Alabama voters who never attended college, winning 71 percent. Joe Biden won 21 percent. Those who answered that they attended college but received no degree preferred Trump 56 percent to Biden 43 percent. Those who earned an associate’s degree (AA or AS) voted for Trump 65 percent to 33 percent for Biden. Those who have just a bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) voted for Trump 51 percent to Biden 44 percent. Those that had an advanced degree after a bachelor’s degree — such as JD, MA, MBA, MD or PhD — voted for Biden 56 percent to Trump 42 percent.
Race however was a much more important factor than education alone.
White college graduates voted for Trump 59 percent to 37 percent for Biden, and 83 percent of white non-college graduates sampled voted for Trump. Biden got just 15 percent from this demographic. Some 86 percent of non-white college graduates voted for Biden. Just 12 percent voted for Trump. Some 82 percent of non-white, non-college graduates voted for Biden, and 18 percent voted for Trump.
Many Democratic politicians attempt to appeal to lower income voters. Both Jones and 2018 gubernatorial Democratic nominee Walt Maddox promised Medicaid expansion if elected with little voter response. According to this polling, Alabamians do not change their voting based on income or social class.
Some 60 percent of those with household incomes under $50,000 voted for Trump. Just 39 percent voted for Joe Biden. Middle class Alabamians — those with household incomes of $50,000 to $99,999 — voted for Trump 59 percent versus Biden with 39 percent. Among high income Alabamians — those making $100,000 or more — voted for Trump 62 percent and 36 percent for Biden.
The participants in the sample were asked, on most political matters, do you consider yourself liberal, moderate or conservative? Some 48 percent answered that they were conservatives. Trump won 90 percent of these to Biden 10 percent. Some 37 percent answered that they were moderates. Biden won 59 percent among the self-professed moderates, while Trump got 39 percent. Only 15 percent consider themselves to be liberals, and 92 percent of those who consider themselves to be liberal voted for Biden. Six percent of the Alabama “liberals” voted for Trump.
Roughly 50 percent of the Alabamians in the sample identified as Republicans, and 28 percent answered that they are Democrats. Just 22 percent identified as independents or something else. Trump won 97 percent of Republicans, 39 percent of the independents and 5 percent of Democrats. At least 95 percent of the Democrats voted for Biden as well as 51 of the independents and 3 percent of the Republicans.
The participants were asked which of five issues mattered most in deciding how they voted for president: racial inequality, the coronavirus pandemic, the economy, crime and safety, and healthcare policy.
The most popular response was the economy: 91 percent of those voted for Trump and 9 percent for Biden. Of the 19 percent who answered racial inequality, 91 percent voted for Biden. Six percent voted for Trump. Crime and safety was the third most popular answer drawing a 15 percent response. The coronavirus pandemic was the main concern for just 8 percent. The lowest response was for healthcare policy with 7 percent.
The sample was asked which of four candidate qualities mattered most in deciding how they voted for president: can unite the country, is a strong leader, cares about people like me or has good judgement.
Some 39 percent chose “is a strong leader,” and 86 percent of those respondents voted for Trump and 13 percent voted for Biden. Twenty-three percent answered “cares about people like me,” and 63 percent of those voted for Trump and 36 percent voted for Biden. Twenty percent answered “can unite the country,” and 78 percent of those voted for Biden and 20 percent voted for Trump. Only 15 answered “has good judgement.”
The voters were asked who would better handle the coronavirus pandemic, and 42 percent answered Biden, and 94 percent of those respondents were Biden voters. Two percent voted for Trump. Some 54 percent of respondents answered Trump, and none of those respondents voted for Biden.
The Alabamians in the exit polls were asked whether it was more important to contain the coronavirus now, even if it hurts the economy, or to rebuild the economy now even if it hurts efforts to contain the coronavirus. Forty percent of the respondents answered containing the coronavirus now even if it hurts the economy, and 81 percent of those respondents voted for Biden and 17 percent were Trump voters. Some 55 percent answered rebuilding the economy now, even if it hurts efforts to contain the coronavirus, and 86 percent of these voted for Trump and just 13 percent voted for Biden.
