Bucks County, Harris vs. Trump and the Battle for Pennsylvania

BUCKINGHAM – In Alexandre Dumas' The Three MusketeersThe Duke of Buckingham will be taken out of the game early, but this city is not thinking of going down the same path as it lies in the heart of Bucks, a contested county in a contested state that is not only due to its relevance to Election Day, but also because of its relevance to election day, part of the national campaign refuses.

Dotted with grand old stone houses, newer quasi-mansions and monuments to domestic bliss that hover between suburbia and country, York Road currently looks like a tug-of-war between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, with the visible numbers edge going to Harris and the outlandish display public affection goes to Trump.

While the abundance of Harris-Walz signage shows Bucks County's significant opposition to the Trump-era Republican Party, giant signs along the street in front of the Elm Grove Estate warn passersby of the dangers of voting against Trump. A sign with a Soviet hammer and sickle and the argument that a vote for Harris is a vote for communism looms over the sprawling, fenced fields.

Homeowner Christine Figueroa told InsiderNJ why she feels compelled as an American to communicate her pro-MAGA, pro-Trump Vance ticket message. “We are very concerned about the sexualization of our children in schools, which is leading to the mutilation of our children,” said the mother of four, who runs an animal rescue program at the farm, one of Bucks County's jewels.

But what about the claim by retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly — Trump's former chief of staff — that his former boss “fits the definition of a fascist”?

“You don’t have to like him to choose him over the alternative and a radical ideology of mutilating minor children,” said Figueroa, who described Harris as unprepared for the office of president and unmatched.

“She can’t answer a single question honestly,” she said.

Figueroa also has grave concerns about illegal immigration and believes the Democratic Party has no credible plan or determination to secure the country. She senses grassroots energy on her presidential candidate's side and expects Bucks County to contribute to a Trump victory in Pennsylvania and catapult him back to the White House.

Republicans and Democrats feverishly organized Thursday in Doylestown, the county seat and staging ground for both parties to make key voter connections in the final days of this Nov. 5 election cycle.

Senator Steve Santarsiero is chairman of the Bucks County Democratic Party and is confident about Harris' chances here and what that means for her chance of securing Pennsylvania. While Republicans have a 3,000-voter lead in voter registration and have gained ground to offset a 10,000 deficit from 2020, Democrats still control county government. They currently have a robust GOTV program, reflected in a 53.8-32.8% lead in ballot applications over the GOP. When it comes to returned ballots, Democrats are doing 22,000 better than their Republican competitors.

“Our volunteers knocked on 56,000 doors,” Santarsiero told InsiderNJ in this energized county

Some women are resisting the overturning of Roe v. Wade by Trump Supreme Court. The Chairman/Senator spoke positively about Harris' candidacy with the Bucks. “There’s no question about it,” he said, referring to the palpable excitement of voters (see photo above) when Joe Biden abandoned his re-election bid and the vice president became the nominee.

“People came to events like our annual Roosevelt Dinner, which was very well attended and the energy was higher than anything I've experienced since 2008 [when Barack Obama] ran for president,” Santarsiero said.

All up and down York Road, signs highlight the impact on the Pennsylvania battlefield. They get bluer as you get closer to more populated areas, and turn red in the rural back streets and around the big estates, with lots of overlap everywhere and time running out in Harris vs. Trump 2024.

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