What the Remarkable Transformation of One Georgia County Means for America

Gwinnett County Is a Testament to the Political Power of ‘a Racially and Culturally Diverse Group’ of New Suburbanites

Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia was surely the most surprising red state flip in the 2020 presidential election. Exploring the strikingly rapid transformation of Gwinnett County, the state’s largest suburban county, shows how this upset happened, while offering insights into what to expect in the state’s all-important upcoming U.S. Senate runoff races.

At the midpoint of the 20th century, prospects for Gwinnett, situated some 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, seemed little brighter than those of any other outlying county. It was largely rural, with just 32,000 inhabitants, more than 95 percent …