Swing state voters are a huge prize heading into the 2024 presidential election. Slim margins in these states can make or break a party nominee in the quest for winning the White House.
Each election there are voters who switch political parties based on how they feel about candidates. Whichever party gains the most voters in these changes can set the stage for a win. This type of voter trend is being watched carefully in all swing states.
Pennsylvania is a key swing state that tends to vote for Democrats in national elections. But that trend may be swinging toward Republicans after a new report showed huge numbers of voters switching parties. Joe Biden might be facing some sleepless nights as the election draws closer.
From the Washington Examiner:
“Current voter registration trends and polling in Pennsylvania should be setting off alarms for President Biden and Democrats at the state and national level,” Erik Telford, Commonwealth Foundation senior vice president of public affairs, told Newsweek.
There were 35,589 Democrats who switched to the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, while only 15,622 Republicans flipped to vote blue, according to the state’s voter registration data as of Dec. 18. The data also showed that large numbers of voters in both parties became unaffiliated with either party. There were 20,908 Democrats and 18,927 Republicans who dropped their affiliation.
Former President Donald Trump lost Pennsylvania in 2020 by a slim margin of about 80,000 votes. Whoever receives the commonwealth’s 19 electoral votes in 2024 could be swayed by voters switching between parties.
Next year’s election is setting up as a similarly tight race with a recent poll from Bullfinch Group showing a 45%-45% tie between Trump and Biden. The current president also faces a huge approval rating slump. The Commonwealth Foundation’s Dec.19 poll showed that 61% of voters disapprove of Biden’s performance which is the highest his disapproval has been all year, according to the Washington Examiner.
Telford said that under Biden, voters “overwhelmingly feel that things are headed in the wrong direction.” That contrasts with a recent poll that found voters more ideologically aligned with the legally embattled ex-president on almost every topic across the board.
Other recent polls in key states who Trump leading over Biden. One poll earlier this month revealed Trump leading in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. All are key swing states that are vital for any candidate gaining a path to the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidential election.
Key Takeaways:
- Joe Biden faces a nightmare setback with voters in key swing state of Pennsylvania.
- The latest state tallies show more voters switching to Republican than the opposite.
- Voters in Pennsylvania also hit Biden with largest disapproval rating this year.
Source: Washington Examiner