Trump Flips Georgia County Republicans Haven't Won in 20 Years

Former President Donald Trump has flipped a Georgia county red for the first time in 20 years after Democrats saw their margin shrink.

Rural Baldwin County was one of at least three swing counties in the battleground state of Georgia that could have gone for either candidate.

With 99 percent of the votes cast, the Republican presidential candidate had secured 50.9 percent of the vote against Vice President Kamala Harris' 48.6 percent.

This is one place in Georgia where President Joe Biden's 2020 margin was narrower than that of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, at 1.3 percent compared to 1.7 percent.

With a population of around 43,000, Baldwin County is not close to the battleground state's major metro areas, but it does have two higher education institutions: Georgia College and State University and Georgia Military College.

Baldwin's diversity has made it a competitive swing county in recent elections, with no candidate receiving more than 52.9 percent in any election since 1992.

The last time the county voted for the Republican candidate was in 2004 when President George W. Bush received 52.89 percent of the vote. No Democratic Party candidate has received as high a percentage since.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Lancaster Airport on November 03, 2024 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Trump flipped Baldwin County in Georgia, which Democrats have held for 20... Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The county falls within Georgia's 8th Congressional District, which saw incumbent Representative Austin Scott keep his seat with 68.8 percent of the vote, compared to 31.2 percent for Democratic rival Darrius Butler. Scott had a slightly lower share of the vote in Baldwin at 54.9 percent.

The Peach State is one of a handful of races expected to tip the results of the 2024 presidential election. Heading into Election Day, Trump was leading Harris by 0.8 percentage points on average across statewide polling, according to 538's tracking.

CNN's exit poll Tuesday night, which was likely to fluctuate, found that Harris had a large lead among Black voters in Georgia (86 percent to 12 percent) and among Georgia voters aged 18 to 29 (60 percent to 39 percent). Trump led among white voters with no college degree (81 percent to 18 percent).

Exit polls offer insights into voters' attitudes and detailed demographic data about elections. The final results of the 2024 presidential election may not be called until later in the week.

Georgia and its 16 electoral votes are expected to be pivotal in deciding the next president of the United States. In 2020, Biden won the state over Trump by just under 12,000 votes. Trump won Georgia by over 200,000 votes in 2016.