The issue is the Pacific Northwest is pretty urbanized and urbanization correlates strongly with American liberalism/progressivism.
There were late-19th century proposals to make the Idaho Panhandle part of Washington. Today there's 330,000 folks in the Idaho panhandle. Assuming around ~200,000 folks vote there, you'd see Trump in 2016 get closer to 43% in the state rather than 38%. Plus Johnson got 5% in the state. You'd end up making Washington state have a much stronger conservative-libertarian element.
Oregon is different. Maybe stick more army bases in the east of the state and perhaps get more mormons to settle in the state's east?
There were late-19th century proposals to make the Idaho Panhandle part of Washington. Today there's 330,000 folks in the Idaho panhandle. Assuming around ~200,000 folks vote there, you'd see Trump in 2016 get closer to 43% in the state rather than 38%. Plus Johnson got 5% in the state. You'd end up making Washington state have a much stronger conservative-libertarian element.
Oregon is different. Maybe stick more army bases in the east of the state and perhaps get more mormons to settle in the state's east?