Shocking presidential poll of Pennsylvania voters

(The Center Square) – Recent polls show that Pennsylvania voters have mixed feelings about Democratic candidates.

Gov. Josh Shapiro's popularity among residents remains steady and President Joe Biden has a lead over President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, but not all is rosy for Democrats.

According to the Commonwealth Foundation's latest quarterly poll, Mr. Shapiro has an approval rating of 62%, giving Mr. Biden a 44-41 lead over Mr. Trump. But only 35% of Pennsylvanians think the state is moving in the right direction. Biden's disapproval rating in the state is 54%.

And in the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Sen. Bob Casey has a 47-30 lead over his likely Republican challenger, Dave McCormick, but 23% of poll respondents said they don't care. He replied that he was not sure whether he was a candidate or not.

Rather than a Democratic or Republican lead, the polls likely reveal a kind of disillusionment with the choices available to voters at the polls. In state and national politics, a significant portion of Pennsylvania voters are dissatisfied with the status quo and with either major political party.

A majority of respondents, 60%, said they were “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the 2024 presidential candidates. That disappointment could spill over into state elections.

Eric Telford, senior vice president of communications at the Commonwealth Foundation, said it is a “red flag” when an incumbent's approval rating is less than 50%.

“A lot of things can happen across the state, including what turnout will look like and how opinions will change over time,” he says. “There's still a lot to see.”

But there may be more hope for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, as no names have been released.

A commonwealth poll found that 43% of respondents preferred Democratic candidates over Republican candidates for Congress. Respondents also said they preferred the Democratic president to the Republican, 51% to 44%. This represents a 5 point increase for Democrats since the last quarterly poll.

Pocket issues are primarily driving registered voters' concerns, with inflation/cost of living leading the pack (22%), followed by rising crime/violence (8%) and the economy (7%).

The same issue was top of mind for Pennsylvanians considering moving. The top reasons respondents cited for wanting to leave the Union were a lower cost of living, lower taxes, and improved jobs and opportunities.