Doylestown: Thirty miles north of Philadelphia, upscale subdivisions such as Colonial Commons interrupt dairy farms, century-old roadside stone houses and the winding Neshaminy Creek that flows between Doylestown and Newtown. Both towns were once rural outposts that have now transformed into trendy commercial, dining and shopping centers.
It is one of the most closely watched areas in American politics.chairman Joe Biden Bucks County, which includes both cities, has seen its numbers rise on the way to flipping Pennsylvania From the Republicans Donald Trump four years ago, and won Suburban Women Won by a huge margin in the state.
Biden and his allies are trying to replicate Democrats’ success with suburban women this year and hinting that they can win over a small number of Republican women who might oppose Trump’s second presidential bid. But in dozens of interviews in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County this month, there was little evidence that traditional women are making a dent in the party’s vote share. Republican Trump was prepared to leave, potentially GOP The nominees are in significant numbers.
“I feel like I have to vote for policies, not for the person,” said Lynn Natell, a 62-year-old interior designer. While Natell criticized Trump’s rhetorical style — “It’s like he doesn’t have the words to speak directly to women” — she said she supports Trump’s views on the economy and immigration.
“This option is unacceptable,” he said.
About a dozen volunteers gathered at Biden’s Bucks County campaign office on a recent Saturday afternoon. The group fanned out into the politically mixed neighborhoods around Doylestown, knocking on the doors of registered Republican voters as well as those not affiliated with any major party, asking them about the issues that concern them most.
In addition to the Biden campaign’s outreach to politically mixed and Republican-voting areas of Bucks County, conservative groups like Women4Us and Republican Voters Against Trump are mobilizing in suburban Philadelphia with the hopes of turning out GOP voters.
Stephanie Sharp of Women4Us points to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley getting 22% of the vote in the four-county suburban Philadelphia bloc in the Republican presidential primary in April. That means Haley won 42,032 votes six weeks after she suspended her campaign, a clear protest vote against Trump.
“Pennsylvania’s closed Republican primary demonstrated a desire to do something better,” Sharp said. Sharp’s group plans to do outreach to Republican women in states with the most competitive presidential campaigns, including Pennsylvania.
“Republican women are fed up with having their votes taken for granted,” Sharp said.
Trump’s team is confident that inflation and illegal immigration will attract some suburban women to the former president, who is holding a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday.
“When President Trump discusses the skyrocketing prices of rent, groceries and gas in Biden’s America, he is talking to women,” said Trump’s national press secretary Caroline Levitt. “When President Trump talks about the immigrant crime that has devastated suburban communities, he is talking to women.”
According to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of voters across the country, about 6 in 10 suburban women in Pennsylvania voted for Biden in 2020, while about 4 in 10 voted for Trump. But this year, many suburban women are not happy about facing the same contest, a trend that holds true for Americans at large, according to public polls.
A recent survey of women voters by KFF found that nearly 6 in 10 suburban women are dissatisfied with their choices for president. Nearly half of women who identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party said they are not satisfied with Biden, mainly for reasons related to his age or his mental and physical health.
Very few Democratic-minded suburban women pointed to other concerns, such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the economy or his performance as president.
Suburban women voters are generally more likely to say Biden respects women than Trump. About 7 in 10 suburban women voters said Biden respects women a lot or somewhat, while only 3 in 10 suburban women said this about Trump. About 7 in 10 suburban women said Trump does not respect women very much, or not at all.
But when asked about the most important issue for their 2024 vote, suburban women most pointed to inflation.
Terri Sikes, owner of a boutique and spa on quaint State Street in Newtown, says the local economy matters most to her.
He said it flourished during Trump’s administration “like turning on a light switch.”
“Quite frankly, all of Trump’s policy positions support the way I live my life,” said Sykes, 61. “I mean, he is who he is. And women have to get over that. Because this is all about policy and the health of our economy.”
Anusha Bella, working from a laptop at a coffee shop in the bustling downtown Doylestown, was initially a more ardent supporter of Biden but grew frustrated with what she saw as Biden’s slow response to Israeli violence in Gaza.
“And would I prefer somebody young? Yes. Would I prefer somebody who has new ideas? Yes,” said the 40-year-old sports business consultant, wearing a Philadelphia Phillies cap.
“But Trump is a threat to democracy,” he added.
It is one of the most closely watched areas in American politics.chairman Joe Biden Bucks County, which includes both cities, has seen its numbers rise on the way to flipping Pennsylvania From the Republicans Donald Trump four years ago, and won Suburban Women Won by a huge margin in the state.
Biden and his allies are trying to replicate Democrats’ success with suburban women this year and hinting that they can win over a small number of Republican women who might oppose Trump’s second presidential bid. But in dozens of interviews in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County this month, there was little evidence that traditional women are making a dent in the party’s vote share. Republican Trump was prepared to leave, potentially GOP The nominees are in significant numbers.
“I feel like I have to vote for policies, not for the person,” said Lynn Natell, a 62-year-old interior designer. While Natell criticized Trump’s rhetorical style — “It’s like he doesn’t have the words to speak directly to women” — she said she supports Trump’s views on the economy and immigration.
“This option is unacceptable,” he said.
About a dozen volunteers gathered at Biden’s Bucks County campaign office on a recent Saturday afternoon. The group fanned out into the politically mixed neighborhoods around Doylestown, knocking on the doors of registered Republican voters as well as those not affiliated with any major party, asking them about the issues that concern them most.
In addition to the Biden campaign’s outreach to politically mixed and Republican-voting areas of Bucks County, conservative groups like Women4Us and Republican Voters Against Trump are mobilizing in suburban Philadelphia with the hopes of turning out GOP voters.
Stephanie Sharp of Women4Us points to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley getting 22% of the vote in the four-county suburban Philadelphia bloc in the Republican presidential primary in April. That means Haley won 42,032 votes six weeks after she suspended her campaign, a clear protest vote against Trump.
“Pennsylvania’s closed Republican primary demonstrated a desire to do something better,” Sharp said. Sharp’s group plans to do outreach to Republican women in states with the most competitive presidential campaigns, including Pennsylvania.
“Republican women are fed up with having their votes taken for granted,” Sharp said.
Trump’s team is confident that inflation and illegal immigration will attract some suburban women to the former president, who is holding a rally in Philadelphia on Saturday.
“When President Trump discusses the skyrocketing prices of rent, groceries and gas in Biden’s America, he is talking to women,” said Trump’s national press secretary Caroline Levitt. “When President Trump talks about the immigrant crime that has devastated suburban communities, he is talking to women.”
According to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of voters across the country, about 6 in 10 suburban women in Pennsylvania voted for Biden in 2020, while about 4 in 10 voted for Trump. But this year, many suburban women are not happy about facing the same contest, a trend that holds true for Americans at large, according to public polls.
A recent survey of women voters by KFF found that nearly 6 in 10 suburban women are dissatisfied with their choices for president. Nearly half of women who identify as Democrats or lean toward the Democratic Party said they are not satisfied with Biden, mainly for reasons related to his age or his mental and physical health.
Very few Democratic-minded suburban women pointed to other concerns, such as the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the economy or his performance as president.
Suburban women voters are generally more likely to say Biden respects women than Trump. About 7 in 10 suburban women voters said Biden respects women a lot or somewhat, while only 3 in 10 suburban women said this about Trump. About 7 in 10 suburban women said Trump does not respect women very much, or not at all.
But when asked about the most important issue for their 2024 vote, suburban women most pointed to inflation.
Terri Sikes, owner of a boutique and spa on quaint State Street in Newtown, says the local economy matters most to her.
He said it flourished during Trump’s administration “like turning on a light switch.”
“Quite frankly, all of Trump’s policy positions support the way I live my life,” said Sykes, 61. “I mean, he is who he is. And women have to get over that. Because this is all about policy and the health of our economy.”
Anusha Bella, working from a laptop at a coffee shop in the bustling downtown Doylestown, was initially a more ardent supporter of Biden but grew frustrated with what she saw as Biden’s slow response to Israeli violence in Gaza.
“And would I prefer somebody young? Yes. Would I prefer somebody who has new ideas? Yes,” said the 40-year-old sports business consultant, wearing a Philadelphia Phillies cap.
“But Trump is a threat to democracy,” he added.
