How Biden Won Pennsylvania and Clinched the Election

Four days after Election Day, Joseph R. Biden Jr. was declared the winner in Pennsylvania, flipping it blue, as counties east of the Appalachian Mountains shifted left. The state, a battleground with 20 electoral votes, was enough to decisively tip the election in Mr. Biden’s favor, propelling him to victory.

Mr. Biden’s largest vote margins were in dense population centers, including Philadelphia and its suburbs, and Allegheny County, which is home to Pittsburgh. The counting of absentee ballots in parts of those counties delayed the results, keeping news organizations from calling the state for several days.

In Philadelphia County, he drew strong support in predominantly Black precincts. Turning out enough Black voters — Democrats’ core supporters — to counter Mr. Trump’s margins with rural white voters had been seen as critical for Mr. Biden, especially after Hillary Clinton’s lackluster showing with Black voters in 2016.

Mr. Trump, who four years ago became the first Republican to win the state since 1988, was able to build on his 2016 win in counties with more lower-income households and those with more white residents who did not have a college education.

Though Philadelphia County, a Democratic stronghold, voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Biden, it swung toward Mr. Trump by more than 4 percentage points, compared with 2016.

In Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties, Mr. Trump’s wins at the precinct level were almost entirely in areas with higher shares of white voters.

Over all, Mr. Trump fared better in Philadelphia than he did in 2016, probably the result of further shifts to the right among white voters, but also shifts in his favor in neighborhoods where Hispanic people make up a majority of the population.

Source: Elections - nytimes.com