President Joe Biden, affectionately known as “Scranton Joe,” is facing troubles in Pennsylvania, a state that played a crucial role in his 2020 victory. Recent polls show eroding support among key Democratic voting blocs, leaving party officials perplexed and concerned about the implications for the upcoming election.
Despite Biden’s attempts to connect with working and middle-class voters in the state, his support has significantly declined since 2020. A New York Times/Siena/Philadelphia Inquirer poll revealed that Biden’s backing among young voters dropped from 62% to 47%, while his support among Hispanic and Black voters fell from 71% to 57%.
“If there’s any place where he should be doing well or better than President Trump, it’s Pennsylvania because of the personal connection, because of the work he’s been putting in for decades, and because the state is trending blue,” former Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) said, expressing surprise at Biden’s struggles.
Meanwhile, ad spending data shows that Pennsylvania is the most heavily targeted state, with almost $3 out of every $10 spent going to the Keystone State. This underscores the importance both campaigns place on winning Pennsylvania, which Trump narrowly carried in 2016 before Biden flipped it back in 2020.
As Democrats grapple with Biden’s waning support, they’re looking to the successes of other statewide candidates, such as Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), for hope. However, the tight race between Biden and Trump in Pennsylvania has some strategists sounding the alarm, warning that the president should always be ahead in a state he considers a second home.
