10 | OCTOBER 31 • 2024 

rather than vote for Biden. However, 
it’s not the first time a Democratic 
presidential contender has faced 
animosity from North Carolina 
voters: In 2012, 21% voted “no 
preference” rather than vote for 
Barack Obama when he ran for 
reelection. 
But this time, the “no preference” 
movement is seen as a protest of 
Biden’s support for Israel’s war on 
Gaza. And while Robinson has trum-
peted support for Israel — despite the 
fact that he’s also had to deny being 
antisemitic — Stein has had to tread 
more carefully so as not to alienate 
left-wing Democrats. 
In response to pro-Palestinian 
campus protests, Stein has defended 
the right to free speech while speaking 
out against violence and antisemitism; 
he’s also said Israel has the right to 
defend itself but should “minimize” 
the impact of the war on civilians in 
Gaza. 
In recent decades, Republicans 
have had the upper hand in North 
Carolina’s presidential elections: 
Obama, in 2008, is the only Democrat 
to have won the state’s presidential 
vote since Jimmy Carter in 1976. 
On the other hand, Trump’s victory 
in 2020 was a narrow one — about 
75,000 votes, or 1% of the total — so 
Democrats could be within striking 
distance this time.

PENNSYLVANIA 
With 19 electoral votes, more than 
any other swing state, Pennsylvania 
is the biggest prize among the 
battleground seven. Registered 
Democrats outnumber Republicans 
by about 400,000, but Biden only 
beat Trump there in 2020 by 80,000 
votes, a 1% margin; Trump won in 
2016 with an even smaller margin, 
about 0.5%. 
The state’s 300,000 Jews make up 
3% of the electorate, according to the 
American Jewish Population Project 
at Brandeis. Two-thirds of them are 
Democrats, so their support is essen-
tial to a Harris win.
The state has a Jewish Democratic 
governor, Josh Shapiro, and an 
outspoken ally on Israel and other 

Jewish issues in Democratic Sen. 
John Fetterman (who is not him-
self Jewish). Neither Shapiro nor 
Fetterman is on the ballot this 
November, but Pennsylvania’s other 
Democratic senator, Bob Casey, is. 
Casey is leading in the polls, though 
his Republican challenger, Dave 
McCormick, is trying to paint himself 
as a stronger supporter of Israel. 

WISCONSIN 
Four of the past six presidential elec-
tions have been decided by less than 
a percentage point in Wisconsin, 
including Trump’s win in 2016 and his 
loss in 2020. The Republican National 
Convention was held this year in 
Milwaukee.
Wisconsin does not have 
party registration, but 48,000 
people voted “uninstructed” in 
April rather than cast a vote for 
either candidate. That’s more than 
double the votes Biden won by 
in 2020 and was seen as another 
protest against Biden’s support for 
Israel’s war with Hamas.
The state’s 40,000 Jews make up 
less than 1% of the electorate and 
two-thirds of them vote Democrat, 
according to the American Jewish 
Population Project at Brandeis.
Wisconsin voters are fickle about 
party affiliation: In 2022, they 
split their allegiance, reelecting a 
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, 
and a Democratic governor, Tony 
Evers. 

This story was first published by the Forward 

(forward.com) and reprinted with permission.

OUR COMMUNITY

Pennsylvania 
Gov. Josh Shapiro

ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES

continued from page 9

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