Housing Woes May Take Toll on GOP

As foreclosures mount in exurbs, Republican voters shift allegiances
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 6, 2007 3:05 PM CST
Housing Woes May Take Toll on GOP
Graphic shows foreclosure statistics; two sizes; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101.6 mm; 3c x 5 1/4 inches; 146 mm x 133.4 mm   (Associated Press)

Having played a central role in the GOP’s 2004 organizing success, America's exurbs are swinging to the left as a result of the housing crunch, the LA Times reports. With sliding home prices and soaring foreclosure rates, voters in high-growth counties across the country are growing anxious and turning away from Republicans.

Republicans won the organizing game in 2004 by rallying conservatives in the prosperous communities beyond the suburbs. Many of those voters are now panicked about their financial security. "In the past, independents used to break Republican, but that's not happening so much anymore," said one official from a fast-growing county near Washington, DC. (More housing market stories.)

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