As the 2024 Presidential Election comes and goes, voters are becoming increasingly aware of the role their votes play in choosing the next Commander-in-Chief. The electoral college system, used in every US presidential election, allows geographic location to affect the “weight” of a vote. A California vote for Trump, for example, has little to no chance of affecting the state’s current position as a Democratic stronghold. However, the electoral college simultaneously elevates the importance of votes in states where there is no clear majority of one major political party or the other. These so-called “swing states, named for their ability to “swing” the results of presidential elections, are imperative for each presidential candidate to win as they race to 270 electoral college votes. Perhaps there is no “swing state” more important in this presidential election than Penn’s namesake, Pennsylvania. The seven “swing states”—classified as states that were won by three or fewer percent in the 2020 presidential election—consist of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. With nineteen electoral votes, Pennsylvania has the most electoral votes among “swing states” and is tied with Illinois for the fifth most electoral votes in the US. It is certainly not a stretch to suggest that the path to the White House runs through the Keystone State. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns are aware of the sheer importance that Pennsylvania holds in the 2024 presidential election—so how are they campaigning to win over voters?
“Campaigning” for president can be broken down into two sections—time and resources. Focusing on resources means focusing on the most powerful resource on the planet: money. And, oh boy, do both presidents’ campaigns spend money in Pennsylvania. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, over 477 million dollars have been spent on advertisements by both candidates. Penn students watching cable television or Youtube videos are bombarded with Trump campaign ads that accuse Harris of spending federal tax dollars to fund gender-reassignment surgeries for illegal immigrants and US prisoners. Conversely, Harris ads that suggest Trump is open to turning the US military on its civilians. Not surprisingly, both candidates spend more money in Pennsylvania than in any other state. However, the buck doesn’t stop with the presidential election. Another tightly contested race is captivating Pennsylvania—its Senate race. Democrat Bob Casey, the incumbent since 2007, is being outspent by 23 million dollars by new GOP challenger Dave McCormick. Overall, the Senate race has seen a staggering 317 million dollars in advertisements between the two campaigns. The magnitude of the numbers suggest that national organizations see Pennslyvania’s Senate seat as key during an election season in which Republicans believe they will take back control of the Senate.
While both candidates spend heavily in Pennsylvania, the time each has invested in visiting the state may be even more critical. Unsurprisingly, both candidates and their running mates have visited the consequential swing state a combined number of over fifty times since July. Recently, Trump held a town hall in the suburbs of Philadelphia while Harris has held rallies in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Philadelphia remains firmly in the Harris camp, with historical data from the 2020 presidential election boosting her chances. Joe Biden, under whom Harris served as vice president, defeated Trump in Philadelphia county with 81.4% of the vote. However, based on these same historical trends, Trump tends to hold much of the rural areas of the state, including Westmoreland and Washington counties. These two countries border the blue Allegheny county, which encompasses the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Recently, Harris brought many high-ranking GOP leaders, such as US Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), on stage with her to warn against a second Trump presidency. A major chunk of discussion at the rally was centered around the events of January 6th, 2021, where pro-Trump rioters stormed the US capital to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. Pennsylvania is also home to a defining location of the 2024 presidential campaign for Trump—the city of Butler. At under an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh, Butler was the location where Trump survived a harrowing assassination attempt by a lone gunman over the summer of 2024 that killed a rally goer, Corey Comperatore. Trump has since returned to the spot of the assassination to honor Comperatore. In a speech to the Butler crowd, Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance proclaimed that “in thirty-one days, this state, starting with Butler, is going to turn red and we’re going to send Donald Trump back to the White House.”
As the 2024 presidential election approaches and eventually concludes, it is necessary to reflect on the power that Pennsylvania holds in deciding the next leader of the nation. While some might argue that the electoral college system is outdated and unfair, it is the status quo and there seems to be no upcoming plan to change it. In 2016, 2018, and 2020, voters 18 through 29 years of age in Pennsylvania voted at a higher percentage than the national average of voters in their age group. Therefore, Penn students must appreciate their ballot box power. As Uncle Ben famously said to Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Now, more than ever, is the time to have your voice heard in national politics. Eligible Penn students are responsible for making time to vote, either in person or using a mail-in ballot. Our country’s future—a Trump or Harris presidency—lies in our collective hands.
Written by: Jake Craner Edited by: Tammer Maraqa