Reagan Democrat
The term remains part of the lexicon in American political jargon because of Reagan's continued widespread popularity among a large segment of the electorate.
[1] Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Congressional caucuses Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other During the 1980 election a dramatic number of voters in the United States, disillusioned with the economic malaise of the 1970s and the presidency of Jimmy Carter (even more than four years earlier under moderate Republican Gerald Ford), supported Reagan, a former Democrat and California governor.
They also supported Reagan's strong stance on national security and opposed the 1980s Democratic Party on such issues as pornography, crime, and high taxes.
He writes: "A young Democrat, Robert Ponasik, stood on a chair furiously waving a handmade sign that proclaimed, 'Cross Over for Reagan'.
[13] In 2012, conservative commentator George Will, observing the long-term movements of partisanship, said: "White voters without college education—economically anxious and culturally conservative—were called 'Reagan Democrats' when they were considered only seasonal Republicans because of Ronald Reagan.
[18][19] Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win all three Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin since Reagan in 1984.
Greenberg highlighted that these voters have been reliably Republican for decades but were inclined to vote for the Democratic nominee because of the nativism of Trumpism.
With Trump's Electoral College victories in 2016 and 2024, he became the first Republican presidential candidate to win all three Rust Belt states twice since Reagan in 1980 and 1984.
