Urban-rural divide, a 'Red Wall' in the South among trends propelling GOP votes

As votes came in and were counted on Tuesday, analysis of various voter blocs surfaced — including the idea of the urban-rural divide between voters in those areas and how they felt represented by the leading candidates in the 2024 presidential race.

The idea that rural areas haven't been represented in Washington, D.C. could be a contributing factor to why many rural areas have turned red in this election, analysts said while conveying various voter sentiment.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told Scripps News that as voters cast ballots supporting the Republican party, "First when you look at Arkansas that is no surprise ... Arkansas was the last southern state to go red... and will probably be the last southern state to go purple."

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These strong voting records for some states led Kamala Harris and her campaign to largely avoid time in these states as they traveled around the country to speak to voters in the run up to election day.

In Florida, Rick Scott's campaign held on strong.

Hutchinson, a Scripps News political contributor, said suburban areas and voters in those parts of the country will be very important in this election. And for Republican voters, there will be significant representation he indicated.

"When you look at the South, it's the Red Wall for Republicans," Hutchinson said. "When you look at Georgia right now, which turned deep red a decade ago — and now is turning more purple, but it's coming back — and you see it right now, I look at it as where it was a toss up between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in Georgia. I see it trending ... more towards Donald Trump."

For less rural areas, like in Atlanta, that could be changing, even if slightly.

Hutchinson said we're not seeing the Democratic votes coming out of Fulton County — the home of the state capital of Atlanta — that analysts expected.