(AFP) – In North Carolina’s Scotland County, voters backed Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, and then Republican Donald Trump in 2020. This year, it will be one of the most hotly contested areas in a battleground state key to the fortunes of Trump and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here are five things to know about Scotland County:
– **’Fighting Scots’**
Pine trees carefully line the roads of rural Scotland County, part of the vast timber industry. The county is located on the state’s border with South Carolina, and the small city of Laurinburg — population, 15,000 — is its seat. On the city’s main street, buildings are rarely more than two stories tall, and many roads have Scottish names. In the early 18th century, migrants from the Scottish highlands colonized the area, along with English settlers. The local high school’s teams are, of course, named the Fighting Scots.
– **Minorities**
Scotland County now has about 34,000 residents. Before Scottish colonizers arrived, the region was settled by the Native American community known as the Cheraw. Today, more than one out of every 10 residents is of Native American heritage. And while about 20 percent of North Carolina’s population identifies as Black, the county has a much higher percentage of African American residents at 39.5 percent. Whites make up 40.5 percent of the population. In 2020, an overwhelming 92 percent of Black voters across the country chose Joe Biden, against just eight percent for Trump. This time around, turnout among Black voters will be key, as America decides whether to elect its first female and second Black president.
– **Camp Mackall**
Scotland County’s economy, though largely rural, is dependent on manufacturing, which accounts for nearly 2,000 jobs, according to official data. The average annual salary in the private sector is just over $45,000 — $20,000 higher than the average in North Carolina overall. The county is home to part of Camp Mackall, which it shares with neighboring Richmond County. The military installation was the main training ground for US parachutists in World War II, and today is the starting point for the US Army’s elite Green Berets.
– **Sandhills**
Situated about a two-hour drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an equal distance from the Atlantic Ocean, the county prides itself on its prime location, about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from the major city Charlotte or the state capital Raleigh. The county is also in the state’s Sandhills region, which extends from North Carolina on a southwestern diagonal line through South Carolina into Georgia. The soil is conducive to growing pine trees, especially the longleaf pine.
– **Will it flip?**
From 1988 to 2016, Scotland County voted for Democrats: Michael Dukakis, Bill Clinton (twice), Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama (twice), and Hillary Clinton. But in 2020, Trump broke the mold, winning by just 287 votes over Biden. This year, Democrats are hoping for another flip, back to Harris. To that end, they are working on voter registration and encouraging high turnout, especially among young voters.
– Robin LEGRAND
© 2024 AFP
