President Donald Trump is gradually eroding Republican support in a crucial swing state — indeed, the so-called “Keystone State” itself.
“Michael Pace likes his Republican congressman, yet he is almost certain to vote for his Democratic challenger,” reported CNN’s John King as he surveyed Pennsylvanians in advance of the 2026 midterm elections. He quoted Pace saying that “Trump is the problem that I see. The president is not doing what I think a president should be doing, and that's disturbing to me.” For that reason, Pace argued, he will oppose even a Republican politician he normally likes because he does not want that person to support Trump.
King also reviewed rising gas prices, frustration at the Iran war and the persistent problem of widespread inflation to explain why many Pennsylvanians are turning on Trump.
Discussing Pennsylvania’s wealthiest congressional district (that is, the first district), located in the southeastern portion of the state, King said that “this will be the toughest of the three districts we visited for the Democrats to win from there to the north and the seventh congressional district. Democrats believe: look at the margin last time. They should have a good chance here.”
He then moved on to the eighth district.
“Do the Democrats need to win all three. No," King. "But two of those three, at least, would tell you the Democrats are off to a good start as they try to retake the House. And we'll know that pretty early on on election night, because Pennsylvania is in the east. The polls close early. So can they get two? Can they get three? Are the Democrats having a tougher night than anticipated? We'll know that pretty early on come election night.”
Pennsylvania is so crucial to Republican chances in the upcoming midterms, a dark money right-wing group invested in ads to hurt the candidacy of firefighter Bob Brooks, who was perceived by many as the strongest potential nominee to flip the 7th district currently represented by Republican Ryan Mackenzie.
“By now, you may have seen television ads running paid for by a PAC called Lead Left,” Lamont McClure, one of the Democrats running in that district, told AlterNet in May about the ads. “I want to be clear. I'm running my own campaign and I've never heard of Lead Left before today. Our political system is broken and we have to put an end to all of the dark money being spent on our campaigns. I hope all of the candidates will join me in calling for the immediate cessation of dark money SuperPAC spending on all of our campaigns.”
He continued, “Throughout this campaign at every forum and debate we've had, I have called for a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's disastrous decision in Citizens United. I renew that commitment today.”
Brooks himself said that the ad was created to sabotage his campaign because the GOP is intimidated by him.
“Republicans are targeting me because I’m the candidate they fear the most,” Brooks explained at the time. “They don’t want to face me in November because they know this firefighter will smoke Ryan Mackenzie, flip this seat, and stop Donald Trump’s cruel agenda.”
Mackenzie, on the other hand, leaned into the ad, with a representative telling AlterNet at the time “all the Democratic candidates are carbon copies when it comes to their radical left policies, but as soon as the DCCC decided to support scandal-plagued Bob Brooks, the dark money started flying around."