Pennsylvania’s seniors could cost Kamala Harris the election as they trust Trump more on economy, poll shows

Vice President Kamala Harris follows former President Donald Trump in targeting crucial senior voters in the key state of Pennsylvania as the economy remains the top issue for them.

According to new polling from AARP, Trump leads among voters age 50 and older by as much as eight points in the state, 52 percent to 44 percent, and these voters say they are highly motivated to cast their ballots in the election.

With its nineteen electoral votes, Pennsylvania is one of the most important swing states for both Trump and Harris on their way to the White House, and could decide the entire election.

The polls show that while Trump has the lead among seniors, the race in Pennsylvania remains close overall, with Harris up 49 percent to Trump’s 47 percent. Three percent of voters remain undecided, with just 35 days to go until Election Day.

New polls show Trump leading Harris by eight points among voters aged 50 and over in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania

Voters aged 50 and over are among the group most likely to show up and vote in elections.

AARP found that ninety-one percent of voters age fifty and older said they were “extremely motivated” to vote in the upcoming election. It’s a six percent increase since the AARP’s first poll of 2024 in the state in May.

At the same time, only 71 percent of voters under the age of fifty say they are extremely motivated.

The poll found that while older voters see several issues as important, the economy and employment are among the most important issues for such voters in the state.

The vast majority also said that Social Security, Medicare and helping people stay in their homes as they age are also extremely important when it comes to who they vote for.

Among older voters, the costs of food, utilities, health care and prescription drugs are among the top concerns for voters age 50 and older, as prices have remained high relative to pre-pandemic levels.

Survey conducted from September 17 to 24

Survey conducted from September 17 to 24

At the same time, more than eight in 10 older voters in Pennsylvania also want a member of Congress who wants Medicare to continue negotiating lower drug prices.

Medicare can now negotiate directly with companies for the first time to lower the prices of certain drugs starting in 2026, thanks to provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Democrats and signed into law by President Biden in 2022.

But overall, fifty-five percent of voters age fifty and older approve of the job Trump did while in office. Only forty-three percent of these voters approve of Harris’ job as vice president.

While Trump has an eight-point lead among older voters, polls show that he won fifty voters and more over Biden in 2020 by similar margins. However, Biden won Pennsylvania overall.

According to the AARP poll, Harris has a significant lead among likely voters under 50 in Pennsylvania, with 54 percent to Trump’s 40 percent.

There is also a significant gender gap in the state. Harris leads Trump by nineteen points among women, while Trump leads by sixteen points among men.

An AARP poll shows Sen. Bob Casey leading David McCormick by four points in Pennsylvania, but McCormick leads among voters age 50 and older by five points

The Keystone State also has Senate elections in November, with Democratic Senator Bob Casey up for re-election.

Casey leads Republican challenger David McCormick by four points among likely voters in the state, 49 percent to 45 percent.

However, among voters age 50 and older, McCormick leads by five points, 50 percent to 45 percent. Five percent of those over 50 said they still haven’t made a decision.