Most Pennsylvania Voters Want Democrats Running the U.S. House

Pennsylvania voters favor Democrats to win control of the U.S. House by 15 points, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Oct. 7.

Fifty-four percent of likely voters in the state said they want Democrats running the House, while 39 percent preferred Republicans.

Independents drove the gap. They favored Democratic control 56 percent to 27 percent, a 29-point margin.

The numbers spell trouble for Republicans defending swing seats in the Philadelphia suburbs. Three of the state’s most competitive House races, the 1st, 7th and 8th districts, could help decide the national majority.

The same poll found Gov. Josh Shapiro leading Republican Stacy Garrity 59 percent to 34 percent in the governor’s race, and it showed deep unhappiness with the direction of Washington on both sides.

Nationally, Quinnipiac’s Sept. 29 poll had Democrats up 51 percent to 39 percent on the generic House ballot, with independents favoring Democrats 54 to 30.

Polls are snapshots, not predictions, and midterm electorates can shift in the final weeks. But with 20 days to go, Pennsylvania’s independent voters are sending a clear signal.