Jewish voters in swing districts have shifted away from Democrats - poll

Jewish voters in key swing districts in Pennsylvania and New York have been turning away from the Democratic Party ahead of the 2024 elections, a recent poll reported by The New York Post revealed.

The survey, conducted by the non-partisan Teach Coalition, an Orthodox Union project, and the Honan Strategy Group, highlighted growing political engagement among Jewish voters driven by the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel and the rise of antisemitism in the United States.

The poll found that 56% of Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and 66% in New York’s swing districts said these events had significantly increased their likelihood of voting in the upcoming presidential election. However, the survey also uncovered reluctance among Jewish voters to self-identify as Jewish, a trend attributed to heightened fears of antisemitic attacks.

Support for Democratic candidates had notably declined. In Pennsylvania, 49% of Jewish voters backed Vice President Kamala Harris, while 42% supported former president Donald Trump, marking a significant decrease from President Joe Biden’s 68% share of the Jewish vote in 2020. Harris held 56% of the Jewish vote in New York’s swing districts compared to Trump’s 37%.

Jews could decide Pennsylvania's outcome 

With approximately 300,000 Jewish voters in Pennsylvania and tens of thousands in New York’s swing districts, this voting bloc was pivotal in determining the outcomes of the presidential and congressional races. In Pennsylvania, where Biden had narrowly won by 80,000 votes in 2020, the Jewish vote could have been decisive.

The New York Post reported a high Jewish voter turnout in recent primaries, with 58% of eligible Jewish voters participating in the New York primary between George Latimer and Jamaal Bowman in June. This trend was expected to continue into November, with record turnout anticipated among Jewish voters in swing districts.