WVXU's Community Dispatch series seeks to take deep dives into Greater Cincinnati communities to better understand what makes them tick.
In the wake of the 2024 election, we're revisiting the three most recent communities we covered this year. We'll tell you how each voted in the presidential election and some of the issues that were likely on voters' minds when they cast their ballots.
New Richmond and jobs
This town of about 2,500 along the Ohio River in Clermont County went all-in for Republican Donald Trump. He received about 63% of the vote in the village's two voting precincts. That's no surprise — Clermont County is heavily Republican and Trump got 70% of the vote county-wide. Voter turnout was strong here — about 70%.
In addition to being in a very red part of Ohio, there are some issues specific to New Richmond that could have informed the vote.
The village is still struggling to find its economic footing after the closure over the past decade of not one, but two coal-fired power plants bookending it to the east and west. Former workers at those plants expressed frustrations around environmental regulations — mostly seen as Democratic Party policies — that made those plants less profitable, though they acknowledged other factors certainly played into their demise.
RELATED: New Richmond was a power plant town a decade ago. That legacy lingers
People here have a wide array of incomes, but about 40% of the local school district's students are below the poverty line and the district faces stark financial realities with the plants gone. It's the kind of place that has responded strongest to Trump's promises to bring manufacturing jobs to the U.S.
That said, it's not all red here. Some former plant workers expressed openness or even enthusiasm for green energy initiatives — generally something Democrats have promoted. And one of the village's long-time council members is a staunch if moderate Democrat who works across political divides. And, there's a $13.4 million project funded by the state of Ohio to remake the village's riverfront, highlighting its history as an abolitionist stronghold in a bid to attract visitors.
Lockland and immigration
Voters in the village of Lockland narrowly supported Democratic presidential hopeful Vice President Kamala Harris this election. Voter turnout was among the lowest in Hamilton County — about 55%.
Lockland found itself in national political headlines throughout 2024 due to an influx of immigrants from the country of Mauritania. Hard numbers are difficult to verify, but most of the recent arrivals live in two apartment complexes comprising about 200 units and have been reported to be living five or more to a unit.
Mauritanians have resided in Lockland and neighboring communities since the 1990s, fleeing their home country's brutal persecution of its Black citizens to seek asylum and economic opportunities in the United States. The Washington Post, Fox News and other national outlets have reported on the recent arrival of larger numbers of Mauritanians, highlighting issues with housing codes and strains on the village's budget due to increased emergency services calls.
Rumors and fears that sprang up in the wake of the influx mirror those in other places like Springfield, Ohio. But some Lockland residents have spoken up for immigrants in interviews and online forums. And others have gone farther, helping them with food, clothing and even bicycles.
RELATED: Lockland hopes historic school renovation will be part of a larger 'renaissance'
If the attention made a dent in the local vote for president, it's hard to see it in the numbers. About 70 more voters in the village of 3,500 people cast ballots for Harris than they did for Trump — roughly the same spread as the 2020 contest between President Joe Biden and Trump.
Like New Richmond, Lockland continues to work to reestablish its economy in the wake of industry leaving the village over the past few decades. Unnoticed in the noise of national news coverage and presidential campaigns are hopes for redevelopment of a major industrial site, growing energy in its historic district and a major rehabilitation of its beloved high school building.
Covington and infrastructure
The Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project has been a key issue in a city experiencing a number of high-profile investments recently.
Last year, President Biden visited Covington to announce $1.6 billion in federal funding for the corridor project via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which he has touted as one of the signature achievements of his tenure.
RELATED: Meet 4 workers who helped build the Brent Spence Bridge
Covington residents say they hope the bridge project brings jobs and connectivity, though some aren't as thrilled with the project, citing environmental and social justice concerns.
Kentucky's a deep-red state, but the urban areas of Covington and Newport have been reliably blue dots within all that Republican dominance. Covington was no exception this time: according to precinct results from the Kenton County Clerk of Courts, about 8,000 voters cast ballots for Kamala Harris here. About 7,200 voted for Trump. But there's nuance here, too — seven of Covington's 17 voting precincts went to Trump, a few by wide margins.