In Pennsylvania's primary, Nikki Haley gets more than 16% of the Republican vote
HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) -- With the Pennsylvania primary now history, the focus turns to the November election, especially in the presidential election.
It's hard to imagine either Donald Trump or Joe Biden winning a second term without carrying the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It's the largest battleground state this year, and polls suggest the margin of victory will be 1% or less.
As expected, both Biden and Trump won their Pennsylvania primaries overwhelmingly, but there were some ominous signs for both in the results.
Although Nikki Haley has long since dropped out of the race, more than 16% of Republicans still voted for her -- that's 157,000 Republicans who voted against Trump. Democratic analysts think these Republicans may be persuaded to vote for Biden this November.
While Biden won his primary more decisively with 93% of the vote, groups opposed to the president's support of Israel's war in Gaza encouraged Pennsylvania Democrats to write in "uncommitted" or "no Joe."
Did it work? Well, maybe. It appears the number of write-ins this year was 58,000, up from 32,000 four years ago. What's unknown still is what Democratic voters wrote in. Still, Republican analysts hope unhappiness with Biden among some Democrats might help Donald Trump win Pennsylvania.
Of course, it's not likely to be just Biden and Trump on the Pennsylvania ballot. Independent and third-party candidates have until Aug. 1 to file their nominating papers. That's when it'll be known if Robert F. Kennedy, Jill Stein, Cornel West or anyone else will give all voters an alternative choice.