In a crucial Democratic stronghold, Trump surged. Clinton didn't. - Washington Post

Among the city’s wards that are more than 75 percent African American, Trump got about 1,300 — or 31 percent — more votes than Romney. Clinton saw a mild decline, earning 7 percent — about 16,000 — fewer votes than President Obama did in 2012.

These neighborhoods — and Philadelphia as a whole — are without a doubt significant for Democrats. Pennsylvania is a large swing state, holding 20 electoral votes. Philadelphia, alongside a few other Democratic pockets such as central Pittsburgh, needed to deliver the party enough votes to counter the vast conservative population across the state. Since 1992, these areas had been enough for Democrats — until Tuesday.

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However, Clinton’s small losses and Trump’s modest gains in Philadelphia did not decide the election. Had Clinton done as well as Obama there, she still would not have won Pennsylvania, which she lost by about 65,000 votes. And even if Clinton had won Pennsylvania, Trump would have still passed the 270-electoral-vote threshold to win the presidency.

But this pattern of decreased turnout within minority areas and a surge of Trump support across the boards reflects what was happening elsewhere in the country.