Atlanta Voter Trends Shift as Harris Steps In
ATLANTA — As the dust settles from the recent presidential elections, Metro Atlanta is buzzing with discussions about voter turnout and candidate preferences in the five core counties: Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett. Comparing the results from the 2020 presidential election to those in 2024, it’s clear that while Democratic support remains strong, some shifts are worth noting!
2020 vs. 2024: A Snap Shot
In 2020, former President Joe Biden was the clear winner in Metro Atlanta, notching up a whopping 95,476 votes against Donald Trump’s meager 15,813 votes. Fast forward to 2024, and it’s Democratic candidate Kamal Harris who took the stage, scoring 94,092 votes, closely echoing Biden’s earlier triumph. Trump seemed to gain a bit more traction with 16,854 votes, while the Libertarians took a hit, with Chase Oliver getting only 298 votes and Jill Stein from the Green Party pulling in 351 votes.
Cobb County’s Democratic Lean
Cobb County continued to show its Democratic colors in both elections. Back in 2020, Biden raked in 221,846 votes compared to Trump’s 165,459 votes, also attracting 6,441 votes for Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen. By 2024, Harris upgraded her score to 227,640 votes, while Trump made a slight jump to 168,286 votes. Sadly, Libertarian support took a dive with Oliver only managing 2,328 votes, whereas Stein gathered 1,945 votes.
DeKalb County’s Democratic Dominance
DeKalb County showcased a pronounced Democratic inclination. In 2020, Biden trumped Trump with 308,227 votes to 58,373 votes. The Libertarian Jorgensen fared better at 4,204 votes than in most places. However, in 2024, Harris saw her support drop slightly to 299,039 votes, while Trump found favor with 62,482 votes. Libertarian Oliver and Green Party’s Stein saw fewer supporters, registering 1,557 and 2,183 votes, respectively.
The Heart of Fulton County
Then there’s Fulton County, the largest county in the metro area, where the Democratic trend continued. Biden’s monumental count of 381,144 votes in 2020 compared to Trump’s 137,240 votes left no room for doubt. Jorgensen collected 6,275 votes, but in 2024, Harris’s numbers dropped slightly to 380,013 votes, while Trump increased his base to 142,912 votes. The third-party candidates seem to be losing their allure here too, with Oliver and Stein receiving just 2,452 and 3,244 votes respectively.
Gwinnett County’s Consistent Support
Moving on to Gwinnett County, it maintained steadiness in favor of Democratic candidates. Biden achieved 241,827 votes in 2020 against Trump’s 166,413 votes, with Jorgensen picking up 5,625 votes. By 2024, Harris got slightly more support at 242,125 votes, while Trump similarly rose to 172,819 votes. The trend of dwindling third-party support persisted here as well, with Oliver getting 1,920 votes and Stein garnering 3,203 votes.
Wrapping It Up
As we look back at the elections in Atlanta’s core counties, it’s evident that Democratic support remains robust. However, Harris’ numbers reflected a slight dip from Biden’s previous counts, while Trump saw incremental gains in all counties. The decrease in votes for third-party candidates is also a point of interest that paints a vivid picture of the current political landscape in Metro Atlanta.
