There is a golden rule in Bob and Lindi Lumens’ candy business: “Don’t mix sweets and politics.” “Half of our customers are on the other side politically,” says Bob, a friendly, older gentleman with a bushy beard. He lowers his voice. “That’s why we don’t talk about politics here anymore.”
The Lumens have been running Northwest Fudge & Confections in Port Angeles, a small port city in Washington state, for 18 years. They used to run two other stores. But at some point the customers stopped coming. People today would rather buy their chocolate cheaply in the supermarket, explains Lindi and shakes her head. Discount chocolate is something she can’t understand any more than Donald Trump’s comeback. “Just creepy.”
Nevertheless, the couple has found new hope since Kamala Harris’ candidacy. “I believe in Kamala,” affirms Bob. He leans over the counter, his eyes sparkling conspiratorially. “And I think we’ll be right again this year.”
By “we,” Bob means not just himself and his wife, but all of Clallam County. A rural district in the northwestern tip of the USA right on the border with Canada – and probably best known as the setting for the “Twilight” series.
What’s less known is that Clallam is the only county in the entire United States that has voted for the winner of each presidential election for over 40 years. The rule of thumb has been in effect since 1980: whoever wins here moves into the White House. What’s the secret behind Clallam’s impeccable presidential record? What are people here thinking a few weeks before the election?
