OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The Pennsylvania Republican Party, with help from the national organization, has dramatically closed the voter registration gap with Democrats following the 2020 election cycle, according to figures published this week.
Penn-Star Capital correspondent Nick Field wrote this week that the state GOP has made significant gains in voter registrations.
“Since I first started tracking voter registrations [sic] trends in Pennsylvania, Republicans have generally eaten into Democrats’ historic advantage. This is the first time I can recall, however, that the GOP posted gains in all 67 counties throughout the Commonwealth,” he wrote.
“Furthermore, the comparison to the last Presidential cycle is particularly stark. Back during the COVID-delayed voter registration deadline in May 2020, the Democratic advantage was D+803,427. Today it stands at 397,241. In that time 122,639 more voters have joined the rolls, yet Dems have lost 195,867 registrants as the Republicans gained 210,319. All the while, independent voters who chose either no affiliation or some other party rose 108,187,” he added.
BREAKING: For the first time in recent memory, the GOP went 67 for 67 in county registration gains ahead of an election. Per, @nick_field90. Wow. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/8DXWPw8lLY
— Athan Koutsiouroumbas (@Athan_K) April 22, 2024
The shift since last October is noteworthy. At that time, the Democratic advantage stood at 445,890. Over this period, Democrats saw a decrease of 4,560 registrants, while Republicans experienced an increase of 44,089 and Independents saw a rise of 26,233, Field noted.
The trend towards Republicans has left some GOP candidates for elected office encouraged.
Dave McCormick, the Trump-backed Republican U.S. Senate nominee from Pennsylvania, predicted on Sirius XM’s Breitbart News Saturday that Pennsylvania will transition into a red state by 2028. McCormick, a veteran and former CEO of Bridgewater Associates, officially secured the Republican nomination on Tuesday.
“There was about a one million registered voter advantage among Democrats over Republicans in Pennsylvania, the year that Trump won in 2016. Today, it’s less than 400,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, and I think by Election Day, it’ll be closer to 300,000,” McCormick noted further.
McCormick went on to predict that he would revisit Breitbart News Saturday in 2028, this time as a sitting United States senator, to discuss Pennsylvania’s transition from a purple state to a red one.
“And by 2028, we’re going to be red, and I’m going to come on your program a year or two after I become a senator, and we’re going to talk about the fact that Pennsylvania has flipped to being a red state,” he said.
McCormick attributed the significant shift in Pennsylvania to Trump, underscoring his resonance with blue-collar workers.
“I give President Trump a lot of credit for this because he has appealed to blue-collar voters that were traditionally Democrats that have looked at these crazy policies of the left and said, ‘Hey … that’s no longer my party. And the party of the Republican Party, which is increasingly becoming a working family party, is much more in line with my needs and interests,’” he added.
“And that’s why I’m going to win, that’s why Trump’s going to win, and that’s why Pennsylvania is becoming an important part of our red coalition across the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump has managed to outpoll President Joe Biden in a another state critical to both of their campaigns, a new survey has found.
According to the Marquette Law School poll, Trump holds a two-point lead over the Democratic incumbent among registered voters in Wisconsin, with 51 percent supporting Trump and 49 percent supporting Biden. This marks a gain for Trump since January, when both candidates were tied at 49 percent.
“Wisconsin is one of seven crucial swing states in the 2024 presidential election and is worth 10 electoral votes. The other six swing states are Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, which total 93 electoral votes along with Wisconsin,” The Daily Wire reported on Friday.
In the same poll, while Trump leads Biden in the Midwestern state, Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin holds a five-point lead over Republican challenger Eric Hovde among registered voters, with Baldwin at 52 percent and Hovde at 47 percent. However, among likely voters, the two Senate candidates are tied.
