According to voter data from the Gem State, thousands of individuals from Washington with conservative beliefs have migrated from the Democratic stronghold to the nearby state of Idaho.
As per data released by the Idaho Secretary of State’s office, among the nearly 119,000 individuals who have recently moved to Idaho, 65% identified themselves as Republicans, whereas only 12% chose to register as Democrats.
Analysis of the data revealed a consistent pattern among approximately 20,000 Americans relocating from Washington to Idaho. Within this subgroup, 62% were associated with the Republican Party, 12% with the Democratic Party, 24% identified as unaffiliated, and 2% fell into the category labeled as other.
Significantly, the proportion of registered Republicans among individuals originating from Washington and moving to Idaho exceeded the state’s overall percentage of registered Republicans, which is approximately 58%.
Republican Secretary of State for Idaho, Phil McGrane, conveyed to Fox News Digital that members of his party “weren’t surprised” by the data but found the extent of it intriguing. He further highlighted that the state’s “business-friendly environment and strong conservative values” were significant factors drawing numerous newcomers.
During the pandemic, numerous affluent and liberal states, such as California and New York, have experienced a substantial departure of residents relocating to states like Florida and Texas. There is a mounting speculation and concern that this migration trend could lead to blue-state voters importing their political preferences into traditionally red states.
In contrast to this prevailing trend, data from Idaho reveals that conservative-leaning voters from blue states are choosing a destination with a political alignment akin to their own. In Idaho, Republicans dominate key state offices, including the Governor, Secretary of State, and both chambers of the state legislature.
In the span of just one year, from 2021 to 2022, over 340,000 individuals left California, marking it as a prominent example of resident migration. The San Francisco Chronicle highlighted that, before the pandemic, California witnessed an average annual outflow of fewer than 200,000 residents relocating to other states.
Those departing often mentioned reasons such as elevated crime rates, high taxes, and issues related to drugs as factors influencing their decision to move.