Twinned Cities Now Following Different Paths

Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Divided States of America

Residents in the twin ports of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI find their lives diverging, now that Minnesota is governed by Democrats, and Wisconsin by Republicans.

By MONICA DAVEY, NYT, JAN. 12, 2014

DULUTH, Minn. — The soaring Blatnik Bridge spans a modest body of water but a political gulf.

Most mornings around 7, Kim and Kyle Smith drive a mile and a half across the bridge from Duluth, where they live, to Superior, Wis., where they teach. On the same bridge most mornings, scores of workers from Superior head the opposite direction, making their way to a foundry that Andy Fulton’s company runs in Duluth.

This is a well-traveled commute between the Minnesota and Wisconsin cities, separated by the St. Louis River. Together, they are known as the Twin Ports for their shared role as a major cargo port, and people on both sides share Scandinavian, German and Irish roots, working-class pasts and a stoic sensibility hardened by a steady chill off Lake Superior.

But these days, when residents cross the bridge, they enter starkly different political territories. Since Republicans in Wisconsin took control of the State Legislature and governor’s office in 2011, and since Democrats gained full dominance in Minnesota last year, people here have watched essential elements of their daily lives — their savings plans, job expectations, personal relationships and health insurance — veer apart.

(More here.)