A View from Northampton County, PA: Third in a Series
The Economy has Prospered Under Trump, but the Local GOP has Struggled by C H R I S B O R I C K As 2020 dawned in Northampton County on the far for statewide office won in Northampton County by very eastern edge of Pennsylvania, the center of American large margins, with Governor Tom Wolf carrying the politics seemed far away from this region of the Keystone county by 16 percent and Senator Bob Casey winning State. With impeachment proceedings dominating Northampton by 10 percent. Perhaps most problematic politics in Washington D.C., for the President was that and the 2020 campaign being Democratic candidate Susan waged largely in early primary Wild carried Northampton states such as Iowa and New County by 6percent on her Hampshire, Northampton way to victory in the 7th County residents focused Congressional District race. much of their attention on The 7th District was created in things like the high school a court ordered redistricting wrestling scene and unusually early in 2018, and Wild’s mild winter weather rather victory in essence flipped a than the ebbs and flows of the district that had long been political world. held by GOP moderate But as the year inches Charlie Dent. Wild joined forward, the relative quiet of the new Democratic majority winter is sure to be replaced in the House in voting in by the roar of a presidential favor of impeachment of election that is likely to be Trump in 2019. fought in Northampton County Despite his party’s Chris Borick as intensely as any county in massive struggles in the nation. As one of the three Northampton County since counties in the all-important 2016, President Trump Since Donald Trump won swing state of Pennsylvania certainly has strengths Northampton County by that flipped from supporting and opportunities in Barack Obama in 2008 and the County that can be about 4,000 votes in 2016, the 2012 to supporting Donald leveraged this November. track record for most of his Trump in 2016, Northampton Polling in the region County is seen as a must hold fellow Republicans in the shows continued strong for the President and a prime support for the President County has been nothing target for Democrats as they among Republicans, and short of abysmal. seek to flip the state blue again he certainly is poised to tap in 2020. into that support as he tries Since Donald Trump won for a repeat performance Northampton County by about 4,000 votes, or roughly in the county in 2020. This asset for the President is 4 percent of the 2016 electorate, the track record for moderately enhanced by a closing of the gap between most of his fellow Republicans in the County has Democrat and Republican registered voters in the been nothing short of abysmal. After losing control of county over the last three years. Since the 2016 county government in the 2017 elections, Republican election, Republicans have narrowed the Democrats’ candidates were trounced in Northampton County in the lead in registered voters in Northampton County by 2018 midterms. In those 2018 races, Democrats running about 4,000 voters, so his very strong position among 18
RIPON FORUM February 2020
