LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Republicans now lead with voter registration in Luzerne County for the first time in over 50 years.
The political landscape is shifting in Luzerne County where for the first time since 1970, republicans now hold the lead in voter registration by just 83 registrations.
It's a historic moment for the republican party in Luzerne County, which hasn't seen a registration advantage since 1970.
Democrats have long dominated voter rolls, but the gap has been closing steadily over the past decade and as of Monday, the Republicans have edged ahead.
"We have an uptick in registration definitely," said Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, republicans now have 87,415 registered voters in the county, compared to 87,332 Democrats, a shift that's been a long time coming according to political analysts.
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"That's been changing, there are a lot of reasons why people seem to think that, as population gets older, they get a little more conservative, certainly the dynamics have changed in Luzerne County probably more than many other counties," said Political Analyst Doctor David Sosar.
The demographics of the political shift are important to consider as well.
"Many Hispanic nationalities are prone more to accept the republican values system than they do democratic, home, family, work, work ethic, and religion and so forth, and in many cases, they've also come from countries that were left-leaning, socialist, dictatorships, and they don't wanna see it here," Dr. Sosar explained.
This shift is significant as both Trump and Vice President Harris have recently visited Luzerne County, highlighting its importance in the upcoming election and it also hints at another visit.
"One of the surrogates from either party come back to Wilkes-barre or in the greater Wilkes-barre area which would include your Scranton and Hazelton and all that, and you will see at least one more visit by each campaign because this area is so crucial," Dr. Sosar added.
Dr. Sosar says in the end, it doesn't matter which party has the lead in registered voters, it all depends on who goes and votes that day.
Whether it's in person or by mail, the last day to register to vote is October 21.
