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Pennsylvania Democrats are converting to the Republican Party at a rate four times the opposite, according to the state’s registration statistics.
The Keystone State is an important swing state in presidential elections and a battleground for the 2022 midterm elections. The Democrat Party outnumbers the total of registered Republicans; however, that sum is shrinking.
As of April 4, there were 4,003,113 registered Democrats in Pennsylvania and 3,434,125 registered Republicans. The margin gap rests at 568,988 more Democrats than Republicans. Although Democrats lead by a little more than half a million voters, Republicans have closed the lead from when Democrats ruled by more than 800,000 registered members in 2016. To date, 3,604 Republicans have changed to the Democrat Party while 14,301 Democrats have joined the Republican Party.
Fueled by Joe Biden’s low approval ratings, Republicans are shrinking the voter advantage that Democrats have traditionally held.
A former Democrat and retired police officer, Beth Jones, said that she was “fed up” when asked about why she left the Democrat Party, according to Reuters. Jones, who is frustrated with the party she belonged to for three decades, said, “there has to be a better way.”
The increase in Republican registrations is not only happening in Pennsylvania. It is an account of a nationally occurring trend.
While Pennsylvania Democrats decreased voter registration, Florida Republicans set a state record for increased members. Republicans led the Democrats by more than 100,000 people in the Sunshine State for the first time. Whereas Joe Biden is a top contributor for Democrat defectors, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., is touted as a reason for the Republican advancement.
“There’s no beating around the fact this historic gain is because of Governor Ron DeSantis,” said Florida Republican Party executive director Helen Aguirre Ferré.
The state’s low unemployment rate, open schools, and anti-Covid authoritarianism have made the sub-tropical real estate a refuge for those seeking freedom.
“Voters recognize the governor is a champion for families and businesses,” stated Ferré. Some might say that the distaste for Biden and the appeal of DeSantis are working together to ensure victory for Republicans in November. Nonetheless, the voter registration trends are an alarm to the current controlling party.
