Promising indicators in a bellwether area of Pennsylvania could signal victory for former President Donald Trump, Fox News reported. One key area has a "waitlist" for the Republican candidate's campaign signs only weeks from Election Day.
The Keystone State has become an important battleground for presidential candidates hoping to clinch its 19 electoral votes. However, All eyes are on the east central region of Pennsylvania, which includes the commonwealth's third-largest city of Allentown, and what it may predict.
The region has become a rich mixture of just about geographic areas, from bustling cities to rural farmland and everything in between. Its lower taxes and housing prices attract nearby New Jersey and New York City commuters into its growing suburbs.
Because of this diversity, the region has become a microcosm of how national politics will play out in a given election. That's why what's happening in counties like Northampton and Lehigh is encouraging for Trump and running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Pollsters have the difficult task of figuring out which candidate will actually get voters to the polls based on reported answers alone. It's widely believed that whoever has the most enthusiasm going into Election Day will be the winner.
The metric is normally difficult to quantify, but GOP State Sen. Jarrett Coleman is picking up on key indicators in the last weeks of the presidential race."We are seeing some of the highest levels of excitement and motivation from folks in the Lehigh Valley," Coleman said.
"I am hopeful for turnout to exceed 2020 levels," he added. Republicans did not show up in sufficient numbers in Lehigh and Northampton counties the last time Trump was on the ballot when he lost the state.
Coleman believes this year is shaping up to be different. "Although Lehigh County contains a ‘blue’ urban core, life for everyone, regardless of political party, has gotten harder under the current administration," Coleman said.
"This is prompting even some who have traditionally voted Democrat to cast ballots for GOP candidates. The economy, border and community safety remain top concerns for those in the Lehigh Valley," he added.
Just outside of Allentown, Republicans in the smaller cities of Bethlehem and Easton and the suburbs of Nazareth and Wind Gap are campaigning hard for Trump and Vance. They have a strong on-the-ground game, according to Northampton County Republican Committee board member Andrew Azan III.
"Our local party is very involved. We are able to communicate with our voters. We are able to text them, call them, and they are receptive to our requests to … help out in going door to door and making phone calls for us," Azan told Fox News. He said the effort is going so well that there's currently a "waitlist" for Trump-Vance yard signs.
"That’s a positive sign," Azan said. Meanwhile, Tim Carroll, board member of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party, said that the area's increasing diversity has only added to the excitement as the conservative movement is"more unified than I’ve ever seen."
According to Lehigh Valley Live, Northampton County is a "bellwether county in a bellwether state." These indicators could point to Trump winning not only Pennsylvania but also the presidency.
With a little more than two weeks to go in the campaign, all eyes are on the Lehigh Valley in the final push. Anything can happen between now and then, but the people of Pennsylvania seem to be leaning toward Trump, and the rest of the nation could very well follow.
