Pennsylvania, like Caesar’s Gaul, is divided into three parts: Bustling metro Philadelphia in the East, the gritty industrial kingdom near Pittsburgh in the West and then Alabama in the middle, as Democratic strategist James Carville once famously described the area in between.
It is a mix of urban, suburban and rural communities and the state where the East meets the Midwest. That makes the Keystone State a combative battleground that was essential to the political fortunes of both parties in 2024. It will also be the go-to swing state in the 2028 presidential election.
Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) was passed over for his party’s nomination for vice president in 2024, but he will be a strong contender for the presidential nod next time around. The exit poll found that he was extremely popular in his state, and we will hear from him again because he might be the right person at the right time in the right place. But he will have to work around the half-dozen other Democratic governors who will run to seek their place in the sun.
Donald Trump and the Republicans don’t need a mandate — they have Pennsylvania. It can make or break a party nationally with more electoral votes than any other swing state. This time Pennsylvania broke the Democrats.
Not only did Vice President Kamala Harris lose in........