How are Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, residents feeling about the 2024 presidential election?

By Mackenzie Shultz

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, has played a vital role in the last four presidential elections. In a county that is almost a 50/50 split by party, how do residents feel about their community’s political divide?

Kyle Rorhbaugh, a first-time voter from the area and current student at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “The political ads alone show how polarized the groups have been in the area,” noting how both parties have barraged Pennsylvanians via text, email, social media, and television ads.

“I go to school in Pittsburgh, which is a liberal city, but once you go outside the city limits, there are Trump signs everywhere you look,” Rorhbaugh said. “It serves as a reminder of how close this election will be and how divisive it is.”

All over the state, there is a constant reminder of how the election could go either way in Pennsylvania, but the shift from city to suburbs is where it is the most obvious. The farther you get from Philadelphia, the more support you see for former president Donald Trump.

Elizabeth Yacovelli, another Pennsylvania native, said, “I have not noticed one person switch over. Like anyone who has voted for Trump before, is still adamantly voting for Trump.”

She noted the signs in the area since 2020 and throughout the Biden administration. “People were hanging signs that said, ‘Don’t blame me; I voted for Trump,’ and those signs have just switched over to a Trump, Vance 2024 sign,” she said.

Since President Joe Biden stepped down from the presidential race, and Vice President Kamala Harris moved forward with the Democratic nomination, the divide between county residents has become more apparent.

In Montgomery County, there was not strong support for Biden, and there were few to no signs supporting his campaign. The number of Harris signs has grown in recent months but has not eclipsed Trump signs. 

Debbi Wilson, a resident of the Royersford area, added that Harris signs were difficult to find this fall unless you were making your own. “This was likely because Harris was a late addition to the race,” she said. Since her candidacy in July, Democratic support for Harris has become more evident in the community.

With wide-ranging opinions on the status of the election’s landscape circulating, residents are making their views heard at local events.

Maygon LaRosse-Major, a small business owner in Limerick, attended the township’s community day on Sept. 14. 

“The Republic tent was a visible spot, and the Democrats were in the center, more hidden,” she said. She also noted a clear difference in the money spent by the groups. She said the Democrats had a small tent, whereas the Republicans had a huge one with snacks, giving away Trump and other republican candidate signs.

This is far from the first display of such support, as Trump has visited the county frequently in the weeks leading up to the election. On Oct. 14, he visited the Oaks Expo Center to hold a town hall in the building where the annual Pennsylvania Gun Show is held.

While many questions remain about how the county will vote this fall, one thing is certain: This proud battleground state knows its importance in deciding who will occupy the Oval Office.