WASHINGTON — One of the most important signs of how people vote is how educated they are. Voters who attended college are much more likely to support Democrats, while voters without a degree typically identify as Republicans.
Higher education, fresh optimism, and more Democrats: Lessons from Pennsylvania’s leading counties.
So, as the Associated Press was looking for a place to investigate this topic, it turned to Center County, Pennsylvania. This area is home to Penn State University and is depicted with a typical blue dot in a red area.
But the county has more people with college degrees, and the region’s small towns are turning from red to purple and from purple to blue. While nothing is certain in this turbulent election year, this change could help Kamala Harris counter Donald Trump’s lead in more rural areas. Here’s what we found in Center County. The traditional swing county is swinging in one direction
Center County, located in central Pennsylvania and home to 160,000 people, has long been a popular area. That has changed in recent elections, with Democratic presidential candidates consistently winning and Democrats retaining control over county commissions.
This change is reflected in education data. Ten years ago, 39.4% of residents had a four-year college degree or higher. Last year, it reached 47.6%. County leaders are pushing to diversify the economy beyond Pennsylvania, focusing on developments such as new attractions such as the Ironman triathlon and expanded medical facilities. ‘Boomerang’ returns to Center County
Center County Commission Chairman Mark Higgins said growth in the area is being driven by a “boomerang.” This means that people who grew up or went to school in the county are returning to raise their families.
Cost of living is an important factor. People are moving from big cities to State College because it’s more affordable, and others are moving from State College to surrounding towns because it’s even cheaper . As a result, the blue dot is expanding across the county.
“We’re seeing an expansion of our university community and our economy,” said Ezra Nunns, the Democratic mayor of State University. “It’s all over the county.” Big changes are coming to small towns.
Penn State is surrounded by several small towns that have long had conservative reputations. But that is gradually changing.
Voters in Bellefonte, a city of 6,000 residents, supported Trump in 2016 but backed Joe Biden in 2020. Once a struggling small town, it is now seeing a wave of investment and an influx of new residents who bring with them more liberal politics.
However, change is not everywhere. Phillipsburg, with fewer than 3,000 residents, has yet to see a similar resurgence. The decline of coal mining cost the town jobs, and voters chose Trump over Biden in 2020. I just need help,” said Brittney Tekely, 31, who runs her own barber shop.
Democrats believe they can make even more gains in Center County. Their plans include tapping into the student population, which is large but often unresponsive during elections. Active recruitment efforts are also underway in this area. “Center County could have thousands more votes than it did in 2020 or 2016,” said Abby Carr, executive director of the county’s Democratic Party.
Republicans have not cut down on the campus population, holding events aimed at energizing right-wing students. Kush Desai, the Trump campaign’s Pennsylvania spokesperson, has been doing outreach at college football tailgates, focusing on winning votes from young people who are dissatisfied with progressive culture. said. “A lot of the people who are rubbing elbows are slowly starting to leave and are coming to our side instead,” he said.
This article was generated from the Automata news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
