In Pa., two major voter groups have grown since the primary. One has shrunk.

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Pennsylvanians who identify as neither Democrats or Republicans represent the fastest-growing demographic since the primary heading into next month's election.

Registration statistics from the Pennsylvania Department of State show that independent and third-party voters grew by 24,626 from May 16 to Oct. 23. Republicans gained 20,923 to their ranks during this period as well.

Democrats for this timeframe decreased slightly, a reduction of 315.

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"I think that's been (a trend) for a while," said Chris Robinson, co-leader of the Green Party of Pennsylvania's communications team. "And I think it's going to continue that way, and that's because the two capitalist parties don't talk toward what people are interested in."

The growth is a continuation of a trend, according to Robinson, as the Green Party of Pennsylvania now has members in all 67 counties and increased overall by nearly 12% from January 2021 to January 2023.

Many young people are joining because they don't feel Democrats or Republicans are taking climate change seriously enough, he said. Older voters seem more upset by the lack of universal health care.

Despite the slight decline, Democrats are still the biggest political party in the commonwealth.

There were 3,897,179 Democrats in Pennsylvania as of Oct. 23. Republicans numbered at 3,451,289, while independents and third parties consisted of 1,298,104 registered voters.

Inside the Beltway

The GOP's congressional majority in the House of Representatives finally agreed on a new speaker of the House last week, ending a 22-day stalemate. This interim period included a surprise bid from a junior Pennsylvania lawmaker.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) was among several who briefly tossed a hat in the ring for the speakership before it was awarded to U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.).

"If I’m elected Speaker, I will promote inclusion so that the Speaker’s office functions as the Members' Office, and indirectly, the People’s Office," Meuser said in a social media post. "I’ll restructure the Speaker’s Office to ensure all members are included in the legislative process and that resources are available to them when it comes to drafting bills, communications, and more."

His bid, however, was withdrawn almost immediately.

Meuser said his decision to drop out was supported by former President Donald Trump. Helping Trump win re-election, Meuser added, will be among his top priorities next year.

And the horse race

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry's (R-Pa.) anticipated 2024 re-election bid is already drawing a diverse array of prospective Democratic challengers.

Last week, John Broadhurst and Blake Lynch formally joined the fray. Broadhurst is an entrepreneur with experience in marketing and business consulting. Lynch is a former community relations director for Harrisburg police who more recently worked as an executive for WITF radio in central Pennsylvania.

The latest entrants bring the total — at least as of press deadline — to eight Democrats who have announced an intent to seek the 10th Congressional District seat.

Other potential nominees include Rick Coplen, Bob Forbes, Mike O'Brien, Janelle Stelson, Gene Stilp and Shamaine Daniels, who was last year's Democratic nominee against Perry. Daniels lost the 2022 race to Perry by 8 points.

A recent Public Policy Polling survey of likely Democratic voters in the district shows Stelson with a 10-point lead over her closest competitor, with a 38% plurality undecided.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: PA voter registration numbers 2023