In what's being called a huge warning to President Trump, All four of Philadelphia’s collar-county governments have been taken over by Democrats. Trump won the state of Pennsylvania by only 44,000 votes in 2016, and the gains by Democrats will make that razor-thin margin only harder to uphold in 2020.
Speaking to POLITICO, former Chester County Republican congressman Ryan Costello said that anti-Trump sentiment in the suburbs is still alive and well.
"Democrats have won counties they never, ever, ever won. The trend from red to blue has accelerated in the last few years, and there’s only one reason for that," he said, adding that "there is not a way to win Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan without holding your deficits down in the suburbs."
Still, the GOP also made gains in the state, which, according to Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, "affirms that Trump will be formidable in 2020."
The elections in Pennsylvania didn't just feature Democrats beating Republicans -- it also showcased progressives beating establishments Democrats, one example being Paige Cognetti, who will be Scranton's first female mayor.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, voters signaled Tuesday that they wanted to move further left.
“I think the party has to be open to progressives with these types of values,” said Claire Adler, 26, of Northern Liberties. “In some ways our local leaders are, but in some ways they’re not."
The biggest blow to Republicans in the state was in Delaware County, where all three Republican Council candidates and all four Republicans running for Common Pleas Court judgeships lost their bids.
Speaking to the Inquirer, Stacy Maillie, who is a registered Republican, said she "felt safe" voting for Democrats.
“I’m not happy with our current state of the Republican Party," she said. "I think it’s too divisive, and I think that the Democratic Party is more tolerant and inclusive. I just find that the current Republican Party has become more extreme.”
Featured image via Shutterstock
