News & Legal Updates Archive

Political pundits across the country have begun the autopsy of the historic 2016 presidential election. While creative minds will undoubtedly conjure complex explanations for last night’s result, the answer may be quite simple: a dramatic shift in voting within the Appalachian Basin1 played an unquestionably significant role in Donald Trump’s victory. Polling throughout the campaign in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia found the economy to be the top priority among voters, outdistancing any secondary issues by a wide margin. It’s no surprise then that those states would reject the candidate who threatened to shut down one of their greatest economic drivers going forward in favor of the candidate who promised to get out of the way. The numbers do not lie – Appalachian Shale delivered the Presidency to Trump.