NewsPolitical News

Actions

Voters in Pennsylvania 'boomerang' county talk about their choice for president

Northampton County has gone to Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden in past presidential elections.
Screenshot 2024-10-24 at 11.59.10 AM.png
Posted

The swing state of Pennsylvania is considered pivotal in the race for president with its 19 electoral votes.

A lot of political insiders are keeping an eye on Northampton County, in the Lehigh Valley. It has been dubbed the "boomerang county" because it went for Barack Obama in 2012, Donald Trump in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020.

Scripps News visited a grocery store in the county and quickly found the people campaigns are still trying to attract — undecided voters.

Bev Hoyer told Scripps News she'd like to hear more about Vice President Kamala Harris' plan to provide down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers.

RELATED STORY | Harris says Trump 'is a fascist' after John Kelly says he wanted generals like Hitler's

"I'd like to hear how Harris is going to give everybody $25,000 for a down payment on a house," she said.

Hoyer added that she wants to hear more about the environment from Trump.

Not everyone in Northhampton County is undecided. Janel Ehlman told Scripps News that she's voting for Harris.

"I just fear this is going to be the last election in which we are going to be able to vote," she said.

RELATED STORY | As Trump touts tariffs, report claims they would cost the typical American $2,600 a year

Matt Ford is backing Trump because he said he's also concerned about the future of the country.

"I would like to know when I leave this world, we are still a republic," he said.

On the South Side Historic District in Bethlehem, Scripps News found plenty of support for Harris. But in the county where nearly 1 in 5 residents are Latino or Hispanic, there was also something happening that Republicans are talking about.

Bri Romero, a 21-year-old Latina, said she already voted for Trump because the Democratic Party's message didn't resonate with her.

"I think there was a lot of aiming to my generation from the Democratic Party, but a lot of it felt like fluff and it didn't feel very personal," she said.

Ultimately, Romero is just one vote as is everyone else in the county. However, come election night, when combined with more than 6 million other Pennsylvanians, the opinions here may just decide who is president.