Trump carried surrounding Westmoreland County, once a Democratic stronghold, by almost a 2-to-1 margin and came close in Monessen, which in local races often doesn't even have a Republican on the ballot. Mavrakis, a Democrat, didn't endorse him, but also left no doubt that he thought the Republican insurgent was sympathetic to a community that has lost thousands of jobs and is beset by drug addiction, a poor school system, and a dwindling tax base.