Scranton residents have serious doubts about a Biden ’24 bid

In Scranton, the hometown of Joe Biden, signs of affection for the US president are hard to miss.

Two blocks and a highway into town bear his name, and private letters from Biden invoking the “Scranton values” of hard work and common decency that he often brand are proudly displayed in some supporters’ living rooms and offices .

Two residents shared stories of Biden making surprise calls to their mothers during one of his visits.

Entrepreneurs credit Biden’s programs for financial survival during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite those strong ties, interviews with about two dozen Scranton voters show that many harbor deep concerns about Biden returning to power.

Biden, 80, is already the oldest sitting president in the US and would be 86 at the end of his second term if reelected.

“I’m concerned about his age and his health,” said Jenn Saunders, 57, a downtown coffee shop owner who voted for Biden in 2020.

The interviews paint a picture of voters’ attitudes toward Biden’s re-election bid, which will be formally announced in the coming weeks.

National polls show that Democrats want a younger candidate, and the lack of enthusiasm in Scranton could be an early warning sign for the party.

Biden’s approval rating remains fairly low, but rose to 42% this month in a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Many Scranton residents say they may support Biden again in 2024, albeit without much enthusiasm.

They expressed frustration with the long-standing economic slump in the Rust Belt city and the apparent lack of options in 2024.

“I guess it’s kind of what he’s supposed to do, run again, right? That’s really what he’s supposed to do. Is there a president who didn’t run for a second term at all? But who else is there?’ Kimberly Smith, 45, a manager at the city’s Glider Diner, said. “We just need someone fresh.”

With lower voting rates than many other democracies, enthusiasm plays an important role in deciding US elections.

In the last four presidential elections, an average of 57% of eligible voters cast a vote.

Biden aides say they welcome a potential rematch against Donald Trump, arguing it will help revive a base angry at the former president.

However, polls show that the American public does not feel the same way.

“The idea of ​​a Biden-Trump rematch makes me cringe,” said Donald Banks, 83, a retired teacher and resident of Scranton.

Saunders said choosing Biden over Trump could end up as “again the lesser of two evils.”

Scranton, where European immigrants once flocked to local coal mines, has long been the basis of Biden’s origin story, even though he left around age 10.

The region was dominated by Democrats for years, but Trump turned that dynamic on its head with his support among working-class white voters.

Biden won the Democratic stronghold of Lackawanna County, thanks in large part to Scranton, by nine points in 2020, bettering Hillary Clinton in 2016, who won the county by fewer than four points.

Biden often peppers speeches with references to the lessons learned in his northeastern Pennsylvania town, now a swing state in presidential elections.

Biden has visited Scranton twice as president and several times during the campaign trail.

“I am proud to fight for the Scranton values ​​we grew up with,” Biden wrote in a 2021 letter to former mayor Jim Connors.

The letter hangs in Connors’ living room, along with other Biden photos and a newspaper clipping showing a 13-year-old Biden at a Scranton parade for former President Harry Truman.

Connors, 76, says the president embodies the underdog mentality embraced by working class cities like Scranton.

He says he is proud of Biden for leading the global fight against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he recently visited.

“He went there to help. He’s from Scranton. That is what we do. They call this place the Friendly City. That’s not just hype,” Connors said. “That’s how Joe was raised.”

He added, if Biden wants to run again, “have someone come forward and hit him.”

Few residents, however, said life has improved under Biden.

Glyn Johns, 29, is a local black activist who had hoped a Scranton resident in the White House would alleviate the problems facing Rust Belt cities.

About one in five people in Scranton lives in poverty, twice the national rate, and the school district is at the bottom of national and state rankings.

Johns says he is disappointed so far.

“I still think there should be more than street names being changed and highways being renamed for you. Because those highways still have potholes. People who are on Biden Street are still struggling with their business,” Johns said.

Black voters were credited with helping deliver the White House to Biden, but Democrats fear that some black people are becoming disillusioned and soured by the idea of ​​politics offering solutions to their problems.

Paige Cognetti, the current mayor of Scranton, says the city has flourished under Biden, even if it has sometimes gone unnoticed.

She said the city and region benefited from millions of COVID-19 stimulus dollars, including paying for a new fleet of electric vehicles.

Scranton has tapped federal funding to help raise local wages and support small businesses.

Biden also supports a plan to build a new rail line from Scranton to New York City.

“So when I think of President Biden, I don’t just think of President Biden as our son from our hometown,” Cognetti said.

“I think of him ushering in an era of funding for the things that cities like Scranton need.”