Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Contentious issues divide, unite Pa. residents
A group of Pennsylvania voters recently got a chance to share their thoughts on some contentious political issues.
A Franklin & Marshall College poll released today included questions about legislative proposals that have been dominating headlines across the nation, taking a look at debates over topics such as schools teaching about racism, the participation of transgender people in competitive sports and discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms.
Berwood Yost, director of the Center for Opinion Research at the Lancaster college, said he thought it was beneficial to test some of the issues that are being discussed at the national level that have picked up traction in the state Legislature.
“We felt it was important to get a read on where Pennsylvanians stand on these issues,” he said. “I was very curious to see if all the national conversation about these topics would translate to strong opinions from voters here. This is all new information for us because we just didn’t have that kind of data.”
The poll shows a definitive opinion in some of those areas, while others have Pennsylvanians sharply divided.
70% of registered voters favors teaching students in public schools about the history of race and racism in America and a 58% opposes giving parents the right to sue schools that teach critical race theory.
The issue of critical race theory and lessons about racism being taught in classrooms has drawn a lot of attention over the last year. Groups of parents have attacked school boards over a belief that their children are being taught critical race theory, and some politicians have seized onto that message.
That includes Republicans in Florida, who successfully passed a bill this month that bans instruction that teaches certain races are privileged or oppressed in both public schools and private businesses. The legislation does not specifically mention critical race theory, which acknowledges that racism is both systemic and institutional in American society.
However, an analysis of the bill highlights critical race theory as something that would be prohibited under the legislation.
Florida has also been at the center of another issue after passing a law last month that prohibits classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
The poll found that registered voters are sharply divided on whether Pennsylvania should enact a similar law.
About 35% strongly support such a law while 42% strongly oppose it. Republicans are more
likely to strongly support the concept and Democrats and independents are more likely to strongly oppose it.
In another matter related to gender identity, the poll asked respondents to weigh in on whether Pennsylvania should require athletes to participate in competitive sports based on their gender assigned at birth.
The Pennsylvania House on Tuesday passed a bill prohibiting transgender women from competing on female sports teams largely along party lines. It now heads to the state Senate, although it has little chance of becoming law because Gov. Tom Wolf has already promised to veto the bill.
That decision, however, runs contrary to what the poll found. The survey shows that 64% of registered voters approve of passing the law, with support coming from 80% of Republicans, 53% of independent voters and 30% of Democrats.
Yost said the findings of the poll were revealing, especially for state lawmakers who are currently debating these topics.
“These are truly questions of the moment,” he said. “And I think they are important questions to understand. These are cultural wedge issues designed to generate support among particularly the Republican base.”
The 2022 election
Growing concern about the state of the economy and harsh judgment about the president’s performance could spell doom for Democrats about their prospects in the 2022 midterm contests.
The poll finds that, if elections were held today, 42% of registered Pennsylvania voters overall would back the Republican
candidate for Congress and 38% would support the Democratic candidate.
When it comes to the primary contests for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, a frontrunner has increased his advantage for the Democratic nomination. The crowded race for the Republican nomination, on the other hand, remains tightly packed.
On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman remains the first choice with support from 41% of registered voters followed by U.S. Rep. Connor Lamb at 17% backing. The poll finds that Fetterman has a substantial lead over Lamb among Democrats who identify with the progressive wing of the party, but that the race is much closer among those who identify as centrists.
The Republican primary field has no clear leader at the moment, but the race appears to be narrowing around two candidates.
The top choices are Mehmet Oz, a celebrity physician, with 16% support and David McCormick, a former chief executive of a hedge fund, with 15%.
However, Yost noted that the survey was almost finished when former President Donald Trump offered his endorsement of Oz in the Senate race. He added that Oz was already leading among voters who identified with the Trump faction of the party prior to the endorsement, but that many of those voters were still undecided about their preference.
There is still a lot of uncertainty among voters on both sides. One in five Democrats and more than two in five Republicans say they are undecided about their choice for the Senate.