Philly Suburbs Shift Toward Democrats

Matt Meyer and wife Inger, both 36, with daughter Astrid, are interviewed by the Associated Press while shopping in Doylestown, Pa., Monday, Aug. 28, 2006. On a possible Democratic takeover of Congress in 2008 Meyer said, "If the Democrats were to do that, it could lead to some rather strong, quick changes in foreign policy, which while could be popular with the current thinking of the American public, may not be in the best interest long-term of the country," said Meyer. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke - AP)

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. -- Growing disenchantment over the Iraq war is proving the great equalizer in many areas, blurring traditional social and demographic distinctions that made it easy to paint sections of the electoral map red or blue.

Take the well-off Philadelphia suburbs, bastions of sidewalk cafes and million-dollar-plus homes. Here, Ginny McGovern, a mother of two and a nutrition therapist, no longer considers herself the lone Democratic voice among a chorus of Republicans.

McGovern said she and her neighbors now are singing from the same page _ at least on issues such as the war, spending and President Bush.

"I think they were all for Bush in the beginning, but I think now they've kind of changed their tune a little bit," said McGovern, 42. "It doesn't matter if they're Republican or Democrat, they all think it's unnecessary."

The wealthy Philadelphia suburbs historically have been a Republican stronghold, but recent shifts in voter registration and voting patterns have moved the region toward the Democrats.

This summer, for the first time since the state began keeping registration records in 1934, slightly more than 49 percent of voters in the four-county region listed their affiliation as Republican.

In 1990, 63 percent of voters in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties were Republicans. Since then, Democratic registration has increased 7 percent to more than one-third of voters while the number of independent and minor party members doubled to 14 percent.

Whether the registration shift coupled with unhappiness with the president, the war and the country's direction translates into Democratic wins in three GOP-held seats and the competitive Senate race is the million-dollar question.

Democrats need a gain of 15 seats to win majority control of the House, and an increasing number of states offer one or two opportunities. The Philadelphia suburbs, however, ranks as fertile territory.

The three House Republican incumbents represent districts that went for Democrats Al Gore and John Kerry in the last two presidential elections. In addition, two of the GOP lawmakers _ Michael Fitzpatrick and Jim Gerlach _ were elected within the last five years.

Democrats also are counting on this region to help them unseat two-term Sen. Rick Santorum, the No. 3 Senate Republican.

Even Tom Reynolds, the New York congressman who leads the Republican congressional committee, concedes the area is a "political battle zone."