A growing number of working-class Democrats in Philadelphia may be planning to cast their votes for former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The report highlighted a noticeable shift in voting patterns among traditionally Democratic wards and districts in the city, particularly in poorer areas.
The article pointed to several examples, including Gabriel Lopez, a 27-year-old who originally registered as a Democrat and voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
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Since then, Lopez has changed his registration to Republican and now supports Trump. “Democrats keep saying [Trump] is going to bring down the economy, but he was already president for four years, and taxes were lower,” Lopez said. “We’re tired of the same politics. We got a different type of guy, and the people actually love him.”
This shift among working-class voters poses a challenge for Kamala Harris as she seeks to secure Pennsylvania, a critical swing state, in the 2024 election. Philadelphia holds 20% of the state’s Democratic voters, but the city experienced significant losses in Democratic voter registration during the 2020 election.
The trend is particularly noticeable in less affluent and majority-Latino neighborhoods, where economic concerns are driving many voters toward Trump.
Jim Kohn, a retired truck driver and registered Democrat, echoed these sentiments, pointing to the economy as his top issue. “When Trump was president, everything was cheaper,” Kohn said. “Now, everything is so sky-high.”
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Despite the growing support for Trump among some voters, many Democrats in the area remain optimistic about Harris’s chances in Pennsylvania.
Álvarez Febo, a Democrat planning to vote for Harris, acknowledged the frustrations that some voters feel but defended Harris’s candidacy. “Many of us have people in our families who have gone to jail, or gone to schools that have failed us. We’re not trustful of the government,” Febo said. “Then you have someone like Trump, who is a liar, and for some people, it’s like, ‘you know something? He’s an honest representation of what we feel.’”
However, Febo also admitted that Harris’s message of “saving democracy” might not resonate with voters who are struggling with basic economic needs. “That means very little for people who can’t keep the lights on,” Febo added.
On the other hand, some Republicans are optimistic about a potential political shift in the city.
Charlie O’Connor, the GOP leader of Philadelphia’s 45th Ward, pointed to a shift in the voting habits of working-class individuals. “When I first started in politics in 1978, the managerial class was Republican — no one votes the way their bosses vote,” O’Connor said. “Now, most people in the managerial class vote Democratic, and no one is voting the way their boss is. So it’s been a flip. Most of the bosses are Democrats and the Democratic Party has become the party of the upper middle class.”
Pennsylvania is expected to be a battleground state in the upcoming election.
A recent Fox News survey showed Harris and Trump tied at 49% among likely voters in the state.
Trump won Pennsylvania in the 2016 election but lost it to Joe Biden in 2020.
With the state once again in play, the shifts in voter allegiance in key areas like Philadelphia could have a significant impact on the outcome of the 2024 presidential race.
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