As the moon crossed over the sun this past week, it seemed for a moment that all had become quiet in Harrisburg, if only for a few moments. This eclipse also brought seemingly overnight state-wide attention to a smaller Pennsylvania city, the city being Erie, Pa. This county was taken into darkness by the unique total eclipse, the only place in Pa. where you could view it. This interesting oddity which some may call “eerie” in itself was so spectacular that it drew even the audience of Governor Josh Shapiro.
“Pennsylvania is one of 13 states in the path of totality for today’s eclipse – but nowhere else has the beauty of the Erie bayfront. This is one of the largest tourism events ever for Erie, with thousands of visitors enjoying this historic event from Lake Erie Speedway to Presque Isle and getting to experience all that Pennsylvania has to offer,” Shapiro said during his time at Erie.“But Pennsylvania is a terrific tourist spot for more than just one day. From our restaurants and bars to our state parks, trails, and outdoor recreation outfitters, Pennsylvania is a world-class destination, and we want the rest of the world to know about it. Tourism serves as a powerful economic engine, benefitting nearly every corner of our Commonwealth and giving Pennsylvanians more opportunities to pursue their passion, support their families, and succeed – and that’s why I’m proposing $18 million for tourism and business marketing in my budget to continue to attract visitors to our great Commonwealth.”
Within the day, it seemed all came to a calm following the mass exodus from the county and the setting of the sun, but it seems that this may not be the last time Erie will make the news on a state and national level this year.
Erie County, with its long history and place of importance within the commonwealth, seems to have quite an influence on politics within the national scale, so much so that Erie may just be one of the most important battleground counties on a national scale. Before the 2016 presidential election, Erie had not in a century favored a Republican candidate, but then former president Donald Trump turned that county around and won the state. However, in 2020, the county had flipped back, and it was President Joe Biden who won the county and eventually the Commonwealth.
But what makes Erie so unique? Why does it continue to be such a battleground, unlike many other counties in the area and across the state?
As Governor Shapiro may have learned during his visit this past week, the county is much more than a city on the lake with its namesake. Erie is a total mixture of every type of person coming from every different walk of life. With its major rural countryside and no lack of farms, it seems to draw voters from a multitude of communities.
It seems much like this campus with student perspectives, such as Green Party members like Etown student Camdyn Buohl. “I’m registered with the Green Party, and I’ll be voting for whoever takes away the bike lanes and pledges to transform public transportation for the better! We need more highways and Walmarts now,” the third-year biochemistry major said.
This sharp contrast between voters within the county has proven to make for quite an interesting situation with the upcoming presidential election getting closer and closer every day.
