The county that surrounds Grand Rapids isn’t just unstable, it’s divided. Marshall-Genzer spoke with Marketplace Morning Report host David Brancaccio about what she learned during her time in Michigan. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

David Brancaccio: You found that for the majority of Donald Trump supporters you surveyed, the economy was the most important issue, while Kamala Harris supporters were primarily motivated by other issues. What can we learn from this?

Nancy Marshall-Genzer: People who care most about the economy say they’re voting for Trump. And of course, voters tend to blame the incumbent for the state of the economy as they see it. I should mention that Kent County’s unemployment rate was 4% in June, which is still low by historical standards. However, when a Democrat is in the White House, Republicans in Kent County say the economy is terrible; local Democrats say the same thing when a Republican president is in office. I talked about this with Paul Isely. He’s an economist at Grand Valley State University, which has campuses in Grand Rapids. He says this is a relatively new phenomenon for the county.

Paul Isely: Politics is beginning to influence people’s feelings about what is good for them in ways that were not the case 10 or 20 years ago.

Brancaccio: OK, so it’s a place with entrenched, differing viewpoints and there’s data on what impact that’s having on local businesses?

Marshall-Genzer: Yes, Isely releases an economic forecast for Grand Rapids every year based on a survey of local businesses. He says this year, more than 70% of survey respondents said political uncertainty is negatively impacting their business — and they’re talking about politics nationally, but also local politics, as parts of Kent County become more “purple.” Isley says these changing realities make it harder for businesses to plan.

Isely: How can you invest when you know there is a chance that the counterparty will step in and change everything?

Brancaccio: And Nancy, for the businesses that serve this polarized community, the situation has been difficult.

Marshall-Genzer: Politics is such a sensitive subject there, David. I learned that firsthand when I tried to set up interviews for my visit to the county. The local Chamber of Commerce wouldn’t talk to me. Neither would a local winery. They said they had to stay out of politics because they “get harassed whenever anything is mentioned.” I also got turned down by some of the county’s food banks. I did find one business that is politically active, though – Books & Mortar in Grand Rapids is unashamedly progressive. Manager Maggie Johnson told me that it has actually had a positive impact on their bottom line.

Maggie Johnson: We’re a company, but really we’re a collective of people with thoughts and feelings about what’s happening in politics. And the more honest we can be with our customer base, I think the more trust we can build and the better the response we ultimately get.

Marshall-Genzer: According to Johnson, Books & Mortar is selling more books on topics like gun control and immigration and even books about what a slide into fascism might look like.