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Within solid Republican and Democratic congressional districts, voters often disagree on key issues, cross party lines
Heading into November’s midterm elections, many residents in Western Pennsylvania disagree about key issues and hold viewpoints that cross party lines.
But when they arrive at their polling place, voters in the 12th and 14th Congressional Districts are more likely to support candidates that hew much more closely to ideological lines.
State Rep. Summer Lee, DBraddock, is the Democratic party’s nominee for the 12th District. She is pushing for an increase in the minimum wage and the creation of new green energy jobs. Her opponent is Mike Doyle, a Republican serving as president of Plum Borough Council. He is pushing for decreased government spending and more domestic oil production. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2 to 1 in the district, which is based primarily in Pittsburgh and its Allegheny County suburbs.
Republican U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler is running uncontested for a third term to represent the 14th District, which includes all or parts of six counties, such as Fayette and Greene. Mr. Reschenthaler, who wants to cut taxes and regulations, also voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. There are roughly 250,000 registered Republicans in the district, versus about 195,000 Democrats.
Interviews with voters show they are looking for candidates
to address a variety of problems, and hold different opinions about what solutions may be best.
One top issue concerning many voters is spending — both by the federal government, as well as out of their own wallets.
Arla Hohman, who was heading into the Shop ’n Save on Route 30 to buy groceries, said inflation and rising prices is a key issue for her. She lamented how it seemed as though “the cost of everything has gone up,” giving an example of recently paying about $200 for what she described as a basic car inspection.
But Ms. Hohman, a retired teacher who lives in North Huntingdon, added that she generally
lets the candidates decide the issues that will matter for the election and then votes for whom she agrees with.
“I’m going to wait and see, what are their issues that they want to do address,” she said. “It’s whatever they want to address, I look at that. Depending on what they care about is going to be how I vote.”
Russell Grice said he has a whole host of issues concerning him, from the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal to drug overdoses — a personal issue, given that his daughter is a recovering heroin addict. But the Glassport resident, a registered Republican, added that he tries to evaluate candidates based on their policy ideas.
“I won’t do that — I don’t just pull straight Republican,” said Mr. Grice, adding that he “may” vote for Ms. Lee but hasn’t “got into it yet.”
Joanne Glemba, of White Oak, said she’s worried about spending programs pushed by the Biden administration and “who’s going to pay for it.”
A registered Democrat, Ms. Glemba said she has started voting Republican in recent years and picked former President Donald Trump as her choice in the 2020 election.
“Whatever he did when he was in office, Biden eliminated what he did,” Ms. Glemba said glumly.
For other voters, the right to an abortion is a key issue. Pennsylvania’s current laws allow the procedure up to a pregnancy’s 24th week, and then afterward only if the patient’s life or health is endangered, but that could change depending on the results of November’s elections.
Anna Oshie, of Derry, said she is generally against abortion, especially after the first trimester, outside of “a very small circumstance” like rape.
“I feel like there’s definitely a time window of where you can go take Plan B, or go to the hospital,” said Ms. Oshie, who believes “every life is valuable” and life begins at conception. “You can take care of it, right then and there.”
Ms. Oshie added that she votes based on her values, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano fits the bill for her.
“I love that he’s a veteran,” she said. “I love that he’s very open to the people’s choice.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial decision this summer to revoke nationwide abortion protections, Alexis Dindak, of Irwin, said she was “grateful” to live in a state where the Democratic governor would prevent new restrictions on the procedure from taking effect.
“We should not have to worry about our state laws changing with that,” said Ms. Dindak, who added that she’s working to “study up” before voting this fall in her first big election. “That’s scary, that’s not good. I am very pro-choice.”
Jennifer Stewart, a pulmonary nurse practitioner, agreed with Ms. Dindak and said she favors maintaining greater access to abortion. Education and working to address climate change are also important issues to her.
Ms. Stewart, of Greensburg, said it can sometimes be “frustrating” to live in a place where elected officials often don’t hold the same views as her.
“I mean, I guess I’m not surprised, that tends to be what happens living here,” she said. “It’s really frustrating where you think, ‘Oh my god, I should just leave, I should go somewhere else,’ but you try to remember there are other things to kind of ground you in a place, not just the political ideology. But it can be hard.”
Tuning in, or not
Many voters said they had not yet tuned into the specifics of the election, while others already started their research into who will be on the ballot.
Sherry Ghafoor, of North Huntingdon, said she changed her mind after initially being unsure about the prospect of voting to send Ms. Lee to the U.S. House.
“I like her politics, I really do. I didn’t think in the primary that I would like her, and I really didn’t understand her viewpoints on things,” she said. “Since I’ve been listening to her, I like her.”
Ms. Ghafoor, who has voted in the past for Democrats, said she has been surprised seeing more lawn signs for Democratic candidates in her area.
“I’ve lived here for 28 years, and it’s basically been a Republican area. But we are getting a lot of diversity out here,” she said. “There’s more people of color moving out here.”
In a region and country with so many different political views, James Spriestersbach, of Irwin, said it should be the job of politicians to bring people together and lead.
“I think it’s important that our politicians work to find some consensus, some common ground, where we can all agree,” said Mr. Spriestersbach, a veteran now working as an attorney. “I think the candidates that I’m looking for are the ones willing to abandon these entrenched party views and work toward the betterment of us all.”
He added that what he described as “arbitrary lines” can sometimes get in the way of better political representation, and candidates more closely relating to the communities for whom they speak.
“The issue I think is who you believe, at the end of the day, is going to go to Washington, D.C., and best represent you, your family and your community. And who’s got your best interests at heart,” he said.