In a notable political shift, a significant number of Democrats in Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden’s birthplace, are changing their party affiliation to Republican, as revealed by recent state voter registration data.
As of December 18, the data shows that 35,589 Democrats in Pennsylvania have re-registered as Republicans this year. In contrast, 15,622 Republicans have switched to the Democratic Party. This trend is particularly significant given Pennsylvania’s crucial role in national elections and Biden’s strong ties to the state.
Nathan Benefield, Senior Vice President of the Commonwealth Foundation, a Pennsylvania-based public policy think tank, commented on the shift. He attributed it to the unpopularity of “Bidenomics” in the state, suggesting that voters are expressing dissatisfaction with the current economic policies and their impact. Benefield anticipates that Pennsylvania will remain one of the closest-contested states in the upcoming elections, regardless of whether Trump and Biden are at the top of the ticket.
The data also indicates a broader trend of voters moving away from party affiliations. In total, 20,908 Democrats and 18,927 Republicans have left their respective parties. This shift in voter registration could have significant implications for future elections in Pennsylvania, a state that Biden narrowly won in 2020 by a margin of 1.2 percentage points.
In the 2020 presidential election, Biden reclaimed Pennsylvania for the Democrats, a state that Trump had flipped in 2016. However, the latest surveys suggest that Biden is either even with Trump or trailing slightly in the state, which will have 19 electoral votes in the 2024 election.
This change in party affiliation among Pennsylvania voters reflects the dynamic and evolving political landscape in the United States, highlighting the potential for significant shifts in voter preferences and electoral outcomes.