Level of education is the primary factor of economic performance
"We are in the first extended period of diverging educational attainment in U.S. history. And there is a very deep political divide around education policy that seems certain to exacerbate the economic and political divide.
The 15 states that have seen the biggest relative drop in educational attainment are all solidly Republican states—and poor. Indiana ranks 10th on this list."
https://commentaries.cberdata.org/1270/some-good-reasons-for-partisan-perceptions-about-the-economy