Red states embrace Trump — and progressive policies
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Illustration: Victoria Ellis/Axios
On Election Day, voters in red states approved progressive ballot measures to raise the minimum wage and to put sick leave mandates in place.
Why it matters: Democrats didn't exactly crush it at the ballot box this year, but some of the economic policies typically associated with their party still proved popular.
Where it stands: In Alaska and Missouri, two states that went for President-elect Trump, voters approved a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour and a paid sick leave law allowing workers to accrue time off.
- Alaska voters also passed a pro-labor law — a ban on captive audience meetings, where employees require workers to listen to their views on politics or, typically, on labor unions. Union advocates say it's a way for companies to pressure workers against joining unions.
- Voters in Nebraska, another red state, also passed a paid sick leave measure.
- In Arizona, which still hasn't called its presidential winner, per the AP, voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would've lowered the minimum wage for tipped workers.
Zoom out: There was a similar disconnect at play with referendums on abortion rights — voters passed measures protecting reproductive rights while voting for candidates who oppose abortion, as Axios' Maya Goldman writes.
The big picture: It's perhaps not as surprising that voters chose both Trump and these typically Democratic pro-labor economic policies — the incoming president's brand of economic populism has strong appeal with working-class voters.
The intrigue: At the same time, voters in blue states rejected liberal policies.
- In Massachusetts, a measure to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers was voted down by a wide margin.
- Oregon voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure that would have provided residents with a $1,600 annual rebate through an increase in the corporate sales tax.
- California voters approved a tough-on-crime measure making shoplifting a felony for repeat offenders.
The bottom line: Voters may be polarized, but there's nuance.
