Wall Street Journal: A Changing Chester County Could Swing Democrat

By

Photo of High Street in West Chester courtesy of Noah Addis, Wall Street Journal.

In an election pitting perceptions of “crass” against “corrupt,” Chester County’s changing demographics could lead it to swing across the line from its traditionally Republican roots to the Democratic camp, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal by Scott Calvert.

“Chester County will offer a good test of whether Democrats can extend their gains,” the article stated. “Of the four big, voter-rich counties outside Philadelphia, Chester was the only one to favor GOP nominee Mitt Romney in 2012 — though by the narrowest of margins, two-tenths of one percentage point.”

Since the 1980s, Republicans’ 2.5:1 advantage has dwindled to 1.1:1 due to incoming Democrats taking tech and life sciences jobs, as well as a disconnect between Republican voters’ commitment to local candidates and the presidential nominee, former Republican Committee of Chester County Chairman Alan Novak explained.

The article also points out that although Chester County’s thriving economy is primarily led by Republicans, it takes the urgency and anxiety out of Donald Trump’s campaign focus on economic revival.

Read more about Chester County’s role as an election battleground in The Wall Street Journal here, and check out previous VISTA Today election coverage here.

Connect With Your Community

Subscribe to stay informed!

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Advertisement
Creative Capital logo