"As Bucks County goes, Pennsylvania will go."

An obscure race for county commissioner underway here in a suburb outside of Philadelphia could tell us a lot about who will win the presidential election in 2024.

Bucks County is one of the swingiest counties in one of the swingiest states in America.

President Joe Biden won it in 2020. So did Sen. John Fetterman and Gov. Josh Shapiro two years later. But it’s represented by a Republican in Congress, perennial battlegrounder Brian Fitzpatrick, and conservatives staged a takeover of the county’s largest school board in 2021, banning what it calls “sexualized content” in the curriculum.

This year it is home to a local race that has the hallmarks of a race for national office: Candidates sparring over book bans in schools, crime and public safety, and the security of democracy in the next presidential election.

  • anon6789
    9•1 year ago

    Bucks County may be one of the most diverse in the state. It’s right in between 2 of the 3 biggest cities. It’s a mix of multiple suburbs and farmland and forest. We have a wide variety of people.

    The last few years there has been a mostly quiet battle going on to pull things away from the Republicans. It’s always felt like people here didn’t care too much for local politics, but now as Central Bucks and Pennridge school districts are making national news for MAGA and Qanon things, I think people are now paying more attention.

    The Fitzpatricks have been around for a long time. Brian tries to tiptoe the line and claim to be the most bipartisan member of Congress, but I’m not sure how much longer than will cut it. Being the nicest Republican is still being on the MAGA side of things.

    I’m very curious to see how things go the next few election cycles.