2016 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
The 2016 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States elections in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. Pennsylvania voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote.
![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Elections in Pennsylvania |
---|
![]() |
![]() |
![](../I/United_States_presidential_election_in_Pennsylvania%252C_2016.svg.png.webp)
On April 26, 2016, in the presidential primaries, voters selected the Democratic, Republican, and Green parties' respective nominees for president. Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, meaning voters must have been previously registered with a particular political party in order to vote for one of that parties' candidates, to participate in their respective party primary.[1]
In the general election, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, won Pennsylvania by 44,292 votes out of more than 6 million cast, a margin of 0.72% and the narrowest margin in a presidential election since 1840, when William Henry Harrison defeated Martin Van Buren by just 0.12%. Pennsylvania voted 2.82% more Republican than the nation-at-large, marking the first time since 1948 that Pennsylvania voted to the right of the nation.
Prior to the election, Pennsylvania was expected to be close as polling showed the results within the margin of error, but many election experts viewed that Clinton had an edge.[2][3] However, on Election Day, Pennsylvania unexpectedly swung to Donald Trump. Trump carried 56 of the state's 67 counties, predominantly rural or suburban counties, while Clinton carried much of the Philadelphia metropolitan area as well as other cities including Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Scranton. Nonetheless, some areas of traditional Democratic strength such as Luzerne County, where Wilkes-Barre is located, saw swings in margins of up to 25% toward Donald Trump, making him the first Republican nominee for president to win Pennsylvania since George H. W. Bush in 1988. Trump also flipped Erie County Republican for the first time since 1984, and Northampton County since 1988.
Primaries
Democratic primary
![](../I/Pennsylvania_Democratic_Presidential_Primary_Election_Results_by_County%252C_2016.svg.png.webp)
Pennsylvania Democratic primary, April 26, 2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Popular vote | Estimated delegates | |||
Count | Percentage | Pledged | Unpledged | Total | |
Hillary Clinton | 935,107 | 55.61% | 106 | 20 | 126 |
Bernie Sanders | 731,881 | 43.53% | 83 | 0 | 83 |
Rocky De La Fuente | 14,439 | 0.86% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1,681,427 | 100% | 189 | 20 | 209 |
Source: The Green Papers, Pennsylvania State Elections Official Results |
Republican primary
![](../I/Pennsylvania_Republican_Presidential_Primary_Election_Results_by_County%252C_2016.svg.png.webp)
Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Actual delegate count | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bound | Unbound | Total | |||
Donald Trump | 902,593 | 56.61% | 17 | 42 | 59 |
Ted Cruz | 345,506 | 21.67% | 0 | 4 | 4 |
John Kasich | 310,003 | 19.44% | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Ben Carson (withdrawn) | 14,842 | 0.93% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Marco Rubio (withdrawn) | 11,954 | 0.75% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jeb Bush (withdrawn) | 9,577 | 0.60% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Unprojected delegates: | 0 | 5 | 5 | ||
Total: | 1,594,475 | 100.00% | 17 | 54 | 71 |
Source: The Green Papers |
Green Party
Pennsylvania held a series of caucuses throughout April, culminating with a meeting on April 30 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where delegates were assigned.[4][5]
Candidate | Votes | Percentage | National delegates |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
- | - | 8 |
William Kreml | - | - | 1 |
Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry | - | - | - |
Darryl Cherney | - | - | - |
Kent Mesplay | - | - | - |
Total | - | 100.00% | 9 |
Democratic National Convention
From July 25 to July 28, 2016, Philadelphia hosted the 2016 Democratic National Convention. It was held at the Wells Fargo Center with ancillary meetings at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was chosen as the party's nominee for president by a 59.67% majority of delegates present at the convention roll call and then winning the nomination. While runner-up rival Senator Bernie Sanders received 39.16% of votes from delegates. Clinton becoming the first female candidate to be formally nominated by a major national party as a presidential candidate in the United States. Her running mate, Senator Tim Kaine, the junior United States senator from Virginia was chosen by delegates as the party's nominee for vice president by acclamation.
General election
Predictions
Source | Ranking | As of |
---|---|---|
CNN[6] | Lean D | November 4, 2016 |
Cook Political Report[7] | Lean D | November 7, 2016 |
Electoral-vote.com[8] | Lean D | November 6, 2016 |
NBC[9] | Lean D | November 7, 2016 |
RealClearPolitics[10] | Tossup | November 6, 2016 |
Rothenberg Political Report[11] | Lean D | November 7, 2016 |
Sabato's Crystal Ball[12] | Lean D | November 7, 2016 |
Statewide results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | 2,970,733 | 48.18 | |||
Democratic | 2,926,441 | 47.46 | |||
Libertarian | 146,715 | 2.38 | |||
Green | 49,941 | 0.81 | |||
Constitution |
|
21,572 | 0.60 | ||
Independent | 6,472 | 0.10 | |||
Independent | Bernie Sanders (write-in) | 6,060 | 0.10 | ||
Republican | John Kasich (write-in) | 302 | 0.00 | ||
Independent | 3 | 0.00 | |||
Write-in | 37,239 | 0.60 | |||
Total votes | 6,165,478 | 100% | |||
Republican win |
By congressional district
Trump won 12 of 18 congressional districts, including one which elected a Democrat, while Clinton won 6 including two that elected a Republican.[15]
District | Trump | Clinton | Representative |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 18% | 80% | Bob Brady |
2 | 8% | 90% | Chaka Fattah |
Dwight Evans | |||
3 | 61% | 35% | Mike Kelly |
4 | 59% | 37% | Scott Perry |
5 | 62% | 34% | Glenn Thompson |
6 | 48% | 48% | Ryan Costello |
7 | 47% | 49% | Patrick Meehan |
8 | 48% | 48% | Mike Fitzpatrick |
Brian Fitzpatrick | |||
9 | 70% | 27% | Bill Shuster |
10 | 66% | 30% | Tom Marino |
11 | 60% | 36% | Lou Barletta |
12 | 59% | 38% | Keith Rothfus |
13 | 32% | 65% | Brendan Boyle |
14 | 31% | 66% | Mike Doyle |
15 | 52% | 44% | Charlie Dent |
16 | 51% | 44% | Joe Pitts |
Lloyd Smucker | |||
17 | 53% | 43% | Matt Cartwright |
18 | 58% | 39% | Tim Murphy |
By county
County[16] | Donald John Trump Republican |
Hillary Rodham Clinton Democratic |
Gary Earl Johnson Libertarian |
Jill Ellen Stein Green |
Darrell Lane Castle Constitution |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
Adams | 31,423 | 66.17% | 14,219 | 29.94% | 1,251 | 2.63% | 405 | 0.85% | 191 | 0.40% | 17,204 | 36.23% | 47,489 |
Allegheny | 259,480 | 39.91% | 367,617 | 56.55% | 16,102 | 2.48% | 5,097 | 0.78% | 1,818 | 0.28% | -108,137 | -16.63% | 650,114 |
Armstrong | 23,484 | 74.27% | 7,178 | 22.70% | 685 | 2.17% | 141 | 0.45% | 130 | 0.41% | 16,306 | 51.57% | 31,618 |
Beaver | 48,167 | 57.64% | 32,531 | 38.93% | 2,022 | 2.42% | 496 | 0.59% | 355 | 0.42% | 15,636 | 18.71% | 83,571 |
Bedford | 19,552 | 82.72% | 3,645 | 15.42% | 260 | 1.10% | 102 | 0.43% | 78 | 0.33% | 15,907 | 67.30% | 23,637 |
Berks | 96,626 | 52.78% | 78,437 | 42.85% | 5,247 | 2.87% | 1,974 | 1.08% | 781 | 0.43% | 18,189 | 9.94% | 183,065 |
Blair | 39,135 | 71.27% | 13,958 | 25.42% | 1,256 | 2.29% | 338 | 0.62% | 222 | 0.40% | 25,177 | 45.85% | 54,909 |
Bradford | 18,141 | 70.57% | 6,369 | 24.77% | 893 | 3.47% | 137 | 0.53% | 168 | 0.65% | 11,772 | 45.79% | 25,708 |
Bucks | 164,361 | 47.74% | 167,060 | 48.52% | 8,556 | 2.49% | 3,121 | 0.91% | 1,199 | 0.35% | -2,699 | -0.78% | 344,297 |
Butler | 64,428 | 66.37% | 28,584 | 29.45% | 3,062 | 3.15% | 615 | 0.63% | 382 | 0.39% | 35,844 | 36.93% | 97,071 |
Cambria | 42,258 | 67.00% | 18,867 | 29.91% | 1,270 | 2.01% | 413 | 0.65% | 264 | 0.42% | 23,391 | 37.09% | 63,072 |
Cameron | 1,589 | 72.69% | 531 | 24.29% | 53 | 2.42% | 6 | 0.27% | 7 | 0.32% | 1,058 | 48.40% | 2,186 |
Carbon | 18,743 | 65.13% | 8,936 | 31.05% | 691 | 2.40% | 265 | 0.92% | 141 | 0.49% | 9,807 | 34.08% | 28,776 |
Centre | 35,274 | 46.32% | 37,088 | 48.71% | 2,644 | 3.47% | 798 | 1.05% | 344 | 0.45% | -1,814 | -2.38% | 76,148 |
Chester | 116,114 | 43.20% | 141,682 | 52.71% | 7,930 | 2.95% | 2,247 | 0.84% | 827 | 0.31% | -25,568 | -9.51% | 268,800 |
Clarion | 12,576 | 71.72% | 4,273 | 24.37% | 469 | 2.67% | 115 | 0.66% | 102 | 0.58% | 8,303 | 47.35% | 17,535 |
Clearfield | 24,932 | 72.75% | 8,200 | 23.93% | 776 | 2.26% | 220 | 0.64% | 143 | 0.42% | 16,732 | 48.82% | 34,271 |
Clinton | 10,022 | 65.10% | 4,744 | 30.82% | 470 | 3.05% | 121 | 0.79% | 37 | 0.24% | 5,278 | 34.29% | 15,394 |
Columbia | 18,004 | 63.78% | 8,934 | 31.65% | 883 | 3.13% | 265 | 0.94% | 142 | 0.50% | 9,070 | 32.13% | 28,228 |
Crawford | 24,987 | 66.65% | 10,971 | 29.26% | 1,046 | 2.79% | 271 | 0.72% | 217 | 0.58% | 14,016 | 37.38% | 37,492 |
Cumberland | 69,076 | 56.80% | 47,085 | 38.72% | 3,975 | 3.27% | 939 | 0.77% | 542 | 0.45% | 21,991 | 18.08% | 121,617 |
Dauphin | 60,863 | 46.51% | 64,706 | 49.44% | 3,498 | 2.67% | 1,177 | 0.90% | 628 | 0.48% | -3,843 | -2.94% | 130,872 |
Delaware | 110,667 | 37.18% | 177,402 | 59.60% | 5,992 | 2.01% | 2,588 | 0.87% | 985 | 0.33% | -66,735 | -22.42% | 297,634 |
Elk | 10,025 | 69.49% | 3,853 | 26.71% | 401 | 2.78% | 79 | 0.55% | 68 | 0.47% | 6,172 | 42.78% | 14,426 |
Erie | 60,069 | 48.57% | 58,112 | 46.99% | 3,871 | 3.13% | 1,139 | 0.92% | 488 | 0.39% | 1,957 | 1.58% | 123,679 |
Fayette | 34,590 | 64.33% | 17,946 | 33.38% | 853 | 1.59% | 232 | 0.43% | 146 | 0.27% | 16,644 | 30.96% | 53,767 |
Forest | 1,683 | 70.10% | 626 | 26.07% | 60 | 2.50% | 19 | 0.79% | 13 | 0.54% | 1,057 | 44.02% | 2,401 |
Franklin | 49,768 | 71.37% | 17,465 | 25.05% | 1,712 | 2.46% | 450 | 0.65% | 336 | 0.48% | 32,303 | 46.33% | 69,731 |
Fulton | 5,694 | 84.09% | 912 | 13.47% | 93 | 1.37% | 37 | 0.55% | 35 | 0.52% | 4,782 | 70.62% | 6,771 |
Greene | 10,849 | 68.82% | 4,482 | 28.43% | 284 | 1.80% | 83 | 0.53% | 66 | 0.42% | 6,367 | 40.39% | 15,764 |
Huntingdon | 14,494 | 73.55% | 4,539 | 23.03% | 425 | 2.16% | 96 | 0.49% | 152 | 0.77% | 9,955 | 50.52% | 19,706 |
Indiana | 24,888 | 65.89% | 11,528 | 30.52% | 936 | 2.48% | 220 | 0.58% | 198 | 0.52% | 13,360 | 35.37% | 37,770 |
Jefferson | 15,192 | 78.00% | 3,650 | 18.74% | 432 | 2.22% | 110 | 0.56% | 94 | 0.48% | 11,542 | 59.26% | 19,478 |
Juniata | 8,273 | 79.14% | 1,821 | 17.42% | 201 | 1.92% | 71 | 0.68% | 88 | 0.84% | 6,452 | 61.72% | 10,454 |
Lackawanna | 48,384 | 46.77% | 51,983 | 50.25% | 1,935 | 1.87% | 896 | 0.87% | 258 | 0.25% | -3,599 | -3.48% | 103,456 |
Lancaster | 137,914 | 57.20% | 91,093 | 37.78% | 8,555 | 3.55% | 2,021 | 0.84% | 1,529 | 0.63% | 46,821 | 19.42% | 241,112 |
Lawrence | 25,428 | 62.40% | 14,009 | 34.38% | 870 | 2.13% | 248 | 0.61% | 198 | 0.49% | 11,419 | 28.02% | 40,753 |
Lebanon | 40,525 | 65.53% | 18,953 | 30.65% | 1,647 | 2.66% | 422 | 0.68% | 298 | 0.48% | 21,572 | 34.88% | 61,845 |
Lehigh | 73,690 | 45.77% | 81,324 | 50.51% | 4,027 | 2.50% | 1,402 | 0.87% | 550 | 0.34% | -7,634 | -4.74% | 160,993 |
Luzerne | 78,688 | 58.29% | 52,451 | 38.86% | 2,339 | 1.73% | 1,178 | 0.87% | 327 | 0.24% | 26,237 | 19.44% | 134,983 |
Lycoming | 35,627 | 70.46% | 13,020 | 25.75% | 1,311 | 2.59% | 384 | 0.76% | 223 | 0.44% | 22,607 | 44.71% | 50,565 |
McKean | 11,635 | 71.40% | 4,025 | 24.70% | 408 | 2.50% | 151 | 0.93% | 77 | 0.47% | 7,610 | 46.70% | 16,296 |
Mercer | 31,544 | 60.30% | 18,733 | 35.81% | 1,370 | 2.62% | 415 | 0.79% | 247 | 0.47% | 12,811 | 24.49% | 52,309 |
Mifflin | 14,094 | 75.77% | 3,877 | 20.84% | 476 | 2.56% | 80 | 0.43% | 74 | 0.40% | 10,217 | 54.93% | 18,601 |
Monroe | 33,386 | 47.86% | 33,918 | 48.63% | 1,502 | 2.15% | 758 | 1.09% | 188 | 0.27% | -532 | -0.76% | 69,752 |
Montgomery | 162,731 | 37.44% | 256,082 | 58.91% | 10,934 | 2.52% | 3,704 | 0.85% | 1,236 | 0.28% | -93,351 | -21.48% | 434,687 |
Montour | 5,288 | 61.80% | 2,857 | 33.39% | 287 | 3.35% | 73 | 0.85% | 51 | 0.60% | 2,431 | 28.41% | 8,556 |
Northampton | 71,736 | 49.98% | 66,272 | 46.18% | 3,690 | 2.57% | 1,371 | 0.96% | 450 | 0.31% | 5,464 | 3.81% | 143,519 |
Northumberland | 25,427 | 69.43% | 9,788 | 26.73% | 931 | 2.54% | 296 | 0.81% | 180 | 0.49% | 15,639 | 42.70% | 36,622 |
Perry | 15,616 | 73.81% | 4,632 | 21.89% | 619 | 2.93% | 163 | 0.77% | 128 | 0.60% | 10,984 | 51.91% | 21,158 |
Philadelphia | 108,748 | 15.37% | 584,025 | 82.53% | 7,115 | 1.01% | 6,679 | 0.94% | 1,064 | 0.15% | -475,277 | -67.16% | 707,631 |
Pike | 16,056 | 61.51% | 9,256 | 35.46% | 492 | 1.88% | 226 | 0.87% | 71 | 0.27% | 6,800 | 26.05% | 26,101 |
Potter | 6,251 | 80.31% | 1,302 | 16.73% | 165 | 2.12% | 35 | 0.45% | 31 | 0.40% | 4,949 | 63.58% | 7,784 |
Schuylkill | 44,001 | 69.99% | 16,770 | 26.67% | 1,414 | 2.25% | 449 | 0.71% | 235 | 0.37% | 27,231 | 43.31% | 62,869 |
Snyder | 11,725 | 71.66% | 4,002 | 24.46% | 455 | 2.78% | 111 | 0.68% | 70 | 0.43% | 7,723 | 47.20% | 16,363 |
Somerset | 27,379 | 76.54% | 7,376 | 20.62% | 678 | 1.90% | 166 | 0.46% | 174 | 0.49% | 20,003 | 55.92% | 35,773 |
Sullivan | 2,291 | 73.05% | 750 | 23.92% | 65 | 2.07% | 14 | 0.45% | 16 | 0.51% | 1,541 | 49.14% | 3,136 |
Susquehanna | 12,891 | 68.34% | 5,123 | 27.16% | 568 | 3.01% | 192 | 1.02% | 89 | 0.47% | 7,768 | 41.18% | 18,863 |
Tioga | 13,614 | 74.29% | 3,901 | 21.29% | 548 | 2.99% | 139 | 0.76% | 123 | 0.67% | 9,713 | 53.00% | 18,325 |
Union | 10,622 | 60.81% | 6,180 | 35.38% | 450 | 2.58% | 143 | 0.82% | 73 | 0.42% | 4,442 | 25.43% | 17,468 |
Venango | 16,021 | 68.62% | 6,309 | 27.02% | 733 | 3.14% | 149 | 0.64% | 136 | 0.58% | 9,712 | 41.60% | 23,348 |
Warren | 12,477 | 67.68% | 5,145 | 27.91% | 549 | 2.98% | 130 | 0.71% | 133 | 0.72% | 7,332 | 39.77% | 18,434 |
Washington | 61,386 | 60.51% | 36,322 | 35.80% | 2,643 | 2.61% | 733 | 0.72% | 366 | 0.36% | 25,064 | 24.71% | 101,450 |
Wayne | 16,244 | 67.63% | 7,008 | 29.18% | 466 | 1.94% | 206 | 0.86% | 94 | 0.39% | 9,236 | 38.45% | 24,018 |
Westmoreland | 116,522 | 64.01% | 59,669 | 32.78% | 4,367 | 2.40% | 936 | 0.51% | 557 | 0.31% | 56,853 | 31.23% | 182,051 |
Wyoming | 8,837 | 67.23% | 3,811 | 28.99% | 323 | 2.46% | 116 | 0.88% | 57 | 0.43% | 5,026 | 38.24% | 13,144 |
York | 128,528 | 62.40% | 68,524 | 33.27% | 6,484 | 3.15% | 1,568 | 0.76% | 882 | 0.43% | 60,004 | 29.13% | 205,986 |
Totals | 2,970,733 | 48.58% | 2,926,441 | 47.85% | 146,715 | 2.40% | 49,941 | 0.82% | 21,572 | 0.35% | 44,292 | 0.72% | 6,115,402 |
![](../I/Pennsylvania_County_Swing_2016.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Pennsylvania_County_Trend_2016.svg.png.webp)
![](../I/Pennsylvania_County_Flips_2016.svg.png.webp)
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Erie (largest city: Erie)
- Luzerne (largest city: Wilkes-Barre)
- Northampton (largest city: Bethlehem)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Chester (largest borough: West Chester)
Analysis
2016 would also be the first presidential election since 1948 in which the Democratic nominee won the popular vote without the state. Pennsylvania's vote for Donald Trump, along with that of Wisconsin and Michigan, marked the fall of the Democratic Blue Wall, a bloc of over 240 electoral votes that voted solidly Democratic from 1992 to 2012. Pennsylvania was one of the eleven states to have voted twice for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 which Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. Although Wisconsin eventually delivered the Trump victory, when the Clinton campaign learned that they had lost Pennsylvania, they then knew that they had lost the election.[17] Trump became the first Republican ever to win the White House without carrying Chester or Dauphin Counties, as well as the first to do so without carrying Centre County since Benjamin Harrison in 1888, and the first to do so without carrying Monroe County since Calvin Coolidge in 1924. He also became the first Republican to win Pennsylvania without carrying any of Philadelphia's suburban counties.
This was the first election since 1988 that Pennsylvania and New York voted for different candidates, and the first since 1976 that it voted differently than New Jersey. This was also the first time since 1932 that the state voted Republican and New Jersey voted Democratic. This is the only time since George W. Bush's victory in New Hampshire in 2000 that a Republican won a northeastern state.
See also
References
- "About Voting and Elections". Votespa.com. May 19, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- "Pennsylvania: Trump vs. Clinton vs. Johnson vs. Stein". realclearpolitics.com. November 5, 2016.
- "Clinton Has Solid Lead in Electoral College; Trump's Winning Map Is Unclear". The New York Times. November 6, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
The final nonpartisan live interview polls there show Mrs. Clinton ahead by a comfortable margin of four to six points. The state will probably be close, but it's quite clear that she has the edge.
- "2016 PA Green Party Caucus Information and Schedule". Pennsylvania Green Party. April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- "#Greens, join us in caucusing and voting for our GP of PA Presidential Candidates in April". Pennsylvania Green Party. April 9, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
- Chalian, David (November 4, 2016). "Road to 270: CNN's new election map". CNN. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "2016 Electoral Scorecard". The Cook Political Report. November 7, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "2016 Predicted Electoral Map". Electoral-vote.com. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- Todd, Chuck (November 7, 2016). "NBC's final battleground map shows a lead for Clinton". NBC News. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "2016 Election Maps - Battle for White House". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "Presidential Ratings". The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- Sabato, Larry (November 7, 2016). "The Crystal Ball's 2016 Electoral College ratings". University of Virginia Center for Politics. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- Federal Election Commission (December 2017). "Federal Elections 2016" (PDF). p. 39. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- "Kathleen Monahan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
- "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report.
- "Pennsylvania Elections – County Breakdown Results". electionreturns.pa.gov. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
- Burstein, Nanette (Director) (March 6, 2020). Episode 4 - Be Our Champion, Go Away (Documentary). Hillary. Hulu.
Further reading
- David Weigel; Lauren Tierney (September 6, 2020), "The seven political states of Pennsylvania", Washingtonpost.com