Delco will once again play important role in upcoming presidential election, professor says

UPPER CHICHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – Voters in Delaware County are still taking in President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democratic nomination.

At the Wawa on Chichester Avenue in Upper Chichester on Wednesday, there was mixed reaction to the abrupt ending of Biden's campaign. The president vowed to continue his reelection bid following his shaky debate performance last month.

"I wish he [Biden] would have stayed in, but I'm going to vote for Kamala Harris now," Upper Chichester resident Fred Hamilton said. Hamilton is a registered Republican, but he said he does not want to cast his ballot for former President Donald Trump.

While some voters say their minds are made up, others say they still have a lot to consider.

"As an independent registered voter, I think now I have a different choice available to me," Upper Chichester resident Cynthia Maci said. "But I think I really need to get more information and see where she [Harris] stands on issues because right now, I feel like she's kind of been nonexistent for four years."

Swarthmore College political science associate professor Ben Berger said Delaware County will play an important role in the election. A red county for more than 100 years, Delaware County started turning blue in the 1990s and 2000s as the demographics changed, according to Berger.

In 2020, Biden secured 63% of the vote in Delaware County, while Trump claimed 36%.

"Delaware County had an 88,000-vote margin for Joe Biden and in Pennsylvania, he won by 80,000 votes," Berger said. "So Delco effectively provided the margin of victory for Joe Biden in Pennsylvania, and a lot of folks look forward to Delco being relevant again right now."

Upper Chichester resident Mazen Sayed said Harris being the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination does not change anything for him because is still planning to vote for Trump.

"I think she'll have more of a fighting chance against Donald Trump than Joe Biden, but I think it's still going to go the same way," Sayed said. "I think Trump is going to win."

Voters say a lot can happen between now and November. They said the next step is to wait and see who becomes the Democratic nominee.