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Republican Voter Registration Is Booming in Pennsylvania

Voter registration can be slippery, but Republicans are making steady gains in a state vital to this year’s presidential election.

Election Pennsylvania
Matt Rourke/AP

In every single county in Pennsylvania, the number of registered Republicans has increased in the last five months. And in all but a handful, the number of Democrats has declined.

Altogether, there are over 40,000 more registered Republicans and nearly 10,000 fewer registered Democrats in the state than there were in November, according to data from the Pennsylvania secretary of state. In 2012, there were over 1 million more registered Democrats than Republicans. Today, the Democrats’ advantage is around 400,000.

Pennsylvania is a crucial state for President Joe Biden’s reelection chances — and one he won by only 80,000 votes in 2020. Party registration isn’t an exact indicator of who someone will vote for, but state Republicans say the numbers should be a sign of concern for Democrats.