What Westminster, Massachusetts, really thinks about the US presidential election – POLITICO

Although Massachusetts is a safe Democratic state and therefore not a key battleground in this election, the 8,000-person city of Westminster is a leading community that tends to swing with the national winner.

When Trump first won the White House in 2016, Westminster supported the controversial businessman with 2,165 votes compared to 1,958 votes for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. But in 2020, when incumbent President Joe Biden defeated Trump statewide, Westminster again picked the winner, by a vote of 2,665 to 2,477.

This schism is one of the few similarities between Westminster, Massachusetts, and its namesake more than 3,000 miles around the world: the United Kingdom’s political epicenter in London.

“It’s pretty divided in the city,” said a shopkeeper in Westminster who did not want to be named. “I don’t think people are ripping each other’s faces off, but it’s definitely politically charged out there.”

Many residents accuse the media of stoking similar divisions across the states, but admit they look for outlets that agree with their own opinions to get the news.

O’Toole watches pundits on Fox News, but Howland demands a channel change when Fox plays in the bars she visits.