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Political Experts Say Pennsylvania Will Be Key State In 2020 Presidential Election

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Political experts are saying Pennsylvania will be a key state in the 2020 presidential election and residents should expect to see candidates over the next 11 months.

With Vice President Mike Pence visiting Beaver County and then joining President Donald Trump for a rally in Hershey on Tuesday night, it continues their push to win Pennsylvania in the 2020 presidential election.

According to experts, Pennsylvania residents should expect several visits from both President Trump and the democratic nominee over the next year.

"I am sure we will see them again back in the state a number of times between now and next November," former PA Governor Tom Corbett said.

In 2016, President Trump won the state by fewer than 50,000 votes, and he won every county in the area except Allegheny County.

Corbett said the state of the economy is something President Trump can use to his advantage for 2020.

"People are reluctant to change horses in mid-stream, especially when you have an economy that is as strong as it is here in Pennsylvania and this country," Corbett told KDKA.

In the 2018 gubernatorial election, the Democrats took Beaver County back.

It's a battleground area the president and vice president have visited in the past few months.

"You can't really neglect what some people think are smaller counties because collectively, they will make a huge difference in who wins the state," Duquesne Law Professor Joseph Sabino Mistick said.

In 2018, Democratic Governor Tom Wolf won the governor race by more than 800,000 votes across the state.

Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman said Gov. Wolf has given a platform for a Democrat to win the state with his style of governing.

He believes whoever wins Pennsylvania will win the election.

Mistick said for the Democrats to win the state, they need to find a candidate who can appeal to moderates. He believes many fit the bill, but one has a home-field advantage.

"I certainly think Joe Biden is at the top of that list. Everybody knows Joe around here and everybody likes him," Mistick said.

Several of the democratic candidates will be in Pittsburgh this weekend for a public education forum.

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