Former President Donald Trump appears to be gaining traction in Pennsylvania, a pivotal swing state where Democrats are losing their edge among registered voters.
Last month, Democrats led the way in new voter registrations with 25,314 compared to Republicans’ 23,839. Additionally, there were over 17,000 registrations categorized as “other” in August.
Despite this, Republicans have added over 102,000 new voters this year, while Democrats have registered around 96,000, as reported by L2.
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Currently, Democrats still hold a lead of 338,000 registered voters in the state, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes this is the smallest margin they have seen in decades—less than half of the advantage they enjoyed in 2016 when Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania.
To secure his path to victory in the upcoming presidential election, Trump needs to win at least one of three critical swing states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, or Wisconsin, all of which are essential to reaching the 270 Electoral College votes required.
Recent polling indicates that Vice President Kamala Harris has a slight lead in these states, particularly in Pennsylvania, regarded as the tightest race. If Harris captures all three states along with Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, she could claim victory without needing any other battleground states, barring unforeseen events.
However, some Democratic lawmakers worry that past polling misestimations of Trump’s support might repeat in this election. Senator John Fetterman pointed out last week, “Polling has really been seriously damaged since 2016,” emphasizing that Trump poses a significant challenge in Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, Desai stressed, “Pollsters and the media have consistently misjudged the genuine support for Trump among American voters.” He added, “This election presents a clear choice: continuing inflation and chaos under Harris or a return to the stability seen during the Trump administration. Pennsylvania will once again show its support for Trump this November.”