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Voters in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland and Delaware went to the polls Tuesday
About one-half of Republican voters in Maryland and Connecticut reported earning $100,000 or more
Voters in the East Coast primary states that voted Tuesday were likely to have differing views about Wall Street and the economy based on how well-off they are, according to exit poll results.
In Maryland, 51% of Republican voters earned at least $100,000 and 58% held a college degree. In Connecticut 52% earned at least $100,000 and 59% held a college degree. Among Republicans in those two states, they are more likely to see Wall Street as helping the economy than voters in Pennsylvania.
Exit polls were not conducted in Delaware and Rhode Island, two states that are also part of Tuesday’s primary.
In Pennsylvania, 33% of Republican voters said they earned $100,000 or more and 48% reported graduating from college. Pennsylvania Republicans generally feel that Wall Street hurts the U.S. economy and 52% said that foreign trade costs jobs in the U.S.
Race played a role in the Democratic contest in those three states, according to Democratic polling there.
Maryland’s Democrats are more racially diverse than in Pennsylvania or Connecticut, with black voters making up 46% of the electorate and white voters making up 43% Tuesday. White voters made up 67% of the electorate in Pennsylvania and 74% in Connecticut.
In Maryland, where the Freddie Gray trial is ongoing, 49% of Democratic voters said race relations had worsened, and 12% said it improved.
In Maryland and Connecticut, 43% of voters earn at least $100,000, but that number drops to 22% Pennsylvania.
Donald Trump dominated among white born-again or evangelical Christians in Pennsylvania, who made up 42% of the Republican electorate, winning 58% – Ted Cruz won 29% and John Kasich won 12%.
In Connecticut, 43% of the Republican voters said they were angry with the federal government – Trump won them 65%, Cruz won 17% and Kasich won 16%.
And in Maryland, Trump won “very conservative” voters 61% to Cruz’s 28% and Kasich’s 10%. The group made up about 28% of voters Tuesday.
Tuesday night also found some concern for anti-Trump forces. In Pennsylvania, 77% of Republican voters said they were voting for their candidate and just 20% said they were voting against a candidate. In Connecticut, 72% were for their candidate and 25% were opposed to another candidate. And in Maryland, 74% voted for their candidate and 24% against.
Hillary Clinton won handily among women and non-white voters Tuesday night, according to the exit polls. In Maryland, Clinton beat Bernie Sanders 67%-31% among women, who accounted for 61% of voters. In Pennsylvania, women accounted for 59% of voters and went for Clinton 59%-41%.
Non-white voters accounted for 57% of the electorate Tuesday night and Clinton won with them 68%-30%. In Pennsylvania, non-white voters made up 29% of the electorate and Clinton won them 64%-36%.
Among Republicans, the vast majority believe that the candidate with the most delegates heading into the Republican convention in July should get the nomination, even if it’s not the 1,237 needed to become the nominee. In Connecticut, 67% voters felt that way, in Maryland the number was 65% and in Pennsylvania it was 70%.