Idiom
bellwether state
Meaning
A state of the United States that historically votes for the winning candidate in a given election.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“This state is a famous bellwether state in national elections.”
“Our region is no longer a bellwether state after the recent population shift.”
“Political analysts watch the results in this bellwether state closely because they often predict the winner of the entire election.”
“Campaign managers spend most of their advertising budget in this bellwether state to see if their message resonates with the general public.”
“Even though the local economy is struggling, the bellwether state still voted for the incumbent just like the rest of the country did.”
“Because the demographic composition of the region mirrors the national average, it has long served as a reliable bellwether state for presidential campaigns.”
Examples
simple
“This state is a famous bellwether state in national elections.”
“Our region is no longer a bellwether state after the recent population shift.”
contextual
“Political analysts watch the results in this bellwether state closely because they often predict the winner of the entire election.”
“Campaign managers spend most of their advertising budget in this bellwether state to see if their message resonates with the general public.”
“Even though the local economy is struggling, the bellwether state still voted for the incumbent just like the rest of the country did.”
complex
“Because the demographic composition of the region mirrors the national average, it has long served as a reliable bellwether state for presidential campaigns.”
Origin
From the compound of *bellwether* and *state*. The former term originates from the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram, or wether, who would then lead the flock. By extension, the word denotes a lead sheep, and subsequently, a state that serves as an indicator of a national trend.
Key words
Related idioms
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