For many years I worked inside New Jersey, covering the State House for NJN Public Television and then NJTV News. Although I lived and breathed New Jersey Politics, I’ve always lived across the river in Lower Makefield Township (also known as LMT), Pennsylvania – also called Yardley. To be honest, I mostly paid attention to political activity under McGreevey, Corzine and Christie and didn’t focus as much on what was going on in my own backyard. I knew my town was very politically active with signs for both parties everywhere, but I never took a deep dive into how my town plays a role in the larger state and federal election outcomes.
I live in Lower Makefield Township which is home to about 33,000 people. We share a zip code with Yardley Borough, so a lot of people say we are from Yardley. For this article’s sake, I will be speaking about Lower Makefield Township, where there are 15 voting precincts, while Yardley Borough has one.
Although a Republican presidential candidate hasn’t won since the 1980’s in LMT, I was under the impression that the township was a major political battleground, especially because currently both our State Senator and State Representative are Democrats, while our Congressman is Republican. But it’s actually been more of a political turnover town, which changed from bright red to bright blue. Joe Sundeen, a Lower Makefield Township Democrat Committeeperson moved here 50 years ago and said the Democrats were a non-entity back them, all the supervisors were Republican. Now, 50 years later, all the supervisors are Democrats.
So how did this change happen? Sundeen said a change started to happen when our current State Senator Steve Santarsiero was the first Democrat to be elected to the LMT Board of Supervisors in the early 2000s. Republican LMT Supervisor Jeff Benedetto (2012-2017) said, “You have a lot of people who are moving out of the city, New York or Philadelphia, they move to this area, they find the school district desirable, a rural community to an extent, and they bring their politics with them. The population hasn’t changed too much, but it’s turned over.”
According to Bucks County GOP Executive/Republican Lower Makefield Township GOP Committeeman Jeff Hall Gale, in LMT there are 10,188 registered Republicans and 12,363 Democrats. He said, “The difference, it’s a lot, but it’s not crazy with the size of population. Democrats have a slight advantage, and registered independents tend to lean more Democrat in recent years.” LMT is part of Bucks County and there’s an interesting trend happening in the county. Bucks County Democrat Committee Secretary/Lower Makefield Township-Yardley Democratic Chair Karen Vander Laan said, “If you look at voter registration for Bucks County in the past 5-10 years, the trend has been more voters to register as Republican, so they have an edge in Bucks County. But in the same time period, more democratic voters have come out and voted. So right now it’s sort of a wash.”
However, for a mostly blue township, the town’s landscape gives off an appearance of mixed political preferences, especially for this upcoming presidential election, with tons of signage for both candidates decorating neighborhood lawns and street corners. Sundeen said, “If you drive around, you’ll see a lot of Harris/Walz signs, but there is a segment of the Republican party who is very active, they are the minority, but they get a lot of signs out. So, the impression you get is there’s 50/50 with Trump people and Democrats with Harris, but the vote doesn’t come out that way.” Gale said, “there’s a lot of signs up for both candidates because Lower Makefield Township is a college educated town with a lot of political people. So, they’re very connected to what’s going on.”
Beside the signage, Benedetto said back in the day, it wasn’t as big of a deal what party you supported, but it’s a different game since Trump became a candidate in 2016. He said, “I think unfortunately the Republican brand, through a variety of reasons, it has become damaged. If someone says I’m a Republican, you will get a wince sometimes, like how could you be a Republican in this day and age. That’s not good, you’re judging that person on a political party.” Ironically, Sundeen said back in the day when he first moved here, there was more hostility if you were a Democrat, “We put a sign out for a local candidate and our house got egged, but I think things are pretty calm here now.”
Benedetto also added, “The signage is out there, I don’t really know what effect it really has. I think people have gotten to a point where it’s not worth it, probably 20 percent are not thrilled with either choice, so they go why alienate my neighbors, it’s not going got make a difference. “
Going beyond signage, Hall said, “He’s heard of a lot of neighbors who don’t talk to each other because of politics, even in his own LMT neighborhood, there’s definitely people having issues with friends, family, and social media in community groups.”
Both local Republican and Democratic party committees do a lot door knocking and both have said they have experienced households where the husband is red and the wife is blue. I happen to have close friends who live in LMT who fit into that narrative, so I asked them what it’s like to live in a mixed political household. They agreed to be interviewed but asked not to use their names. Just for a quick background: The husband’s idol is Ronald Reagan, and his economic ideals. He also says he’s fully behind Trump because the country is a mess. The wife says the economy is not as big of a concern for her and she has more overall liberal views. As you read my interview with them, please picture a debate format.
Opening Statement –
Red Husband – “We don’t vote differently, she just voted ‘incorrectly’.”
Blue Wife – “He’s just dumb, you can quote me on that.”
They both said they have never voted for the same president. When asked if they ever talk politics –
Blue Wife – “We don’t talk about it because neither one of us is going to change our minds. “
Red Husband – “Generally we don’t talk about it and when we do, it goes like the only presidential debate this years, so….”
Blue Wife – “It means I win but he claims he won.”
Closing Statements –
Red Husband – “She married me, so she wins as stated.”
Blue Wife – “I’m still waiting for my prize…lol”
So the question remains, how do presidential votes in Lower Makefield Township affect Bucks County, the state of Pennsylvania and the overall election? Hall says, “Lower Makefield Township is trending more and more democratic. But it’s possible Trump wins Bucks County as a whole. I do know if the polling shows that Trump loses Bucks County by no more than 2%, he’ll probably win PA.”
Vander Laan emphasized, “I think a lot of eyes are on Bucks County. More voters come out in Bucks County than some other counties. If there’s a huge turnout in a red leaning county, we’re hoping that the blue or left leaning here in Bucks County will overcome that.”
Sundeen has had political experience here for half a century and in his experience, he said, “It’s our duty to turn out as many of our people as possible. I always like to say Lower Makefield is key to Bucks County, Bucks County is key to Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania is key to the national election.”
Both local party committees do agree that they need younger people to get more active in their political parties for future elections.
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In the midst of a highly polarized political climate, it can be challenging for couples with differing political beliefs to navigate their relationships. One such household that has found themselves at the heart of the battleground is the LMT household in New Jersey, where a blue wife and red husband reside.
The dynamic between a Democrat wife and a Republican husband can be complex, especially when both individuals are deeply passionate about their respective beliefs. In the case of the LMT household, the wife is a staunch Democrat who believes in progressive policies and social justice, while the husband is a conservative Republican who values traditional values and limited government intervention.
Despite their political differences, the LMT household has found ways to maintain a harmonious relationship by focusing on mutual respect, open communication, and a willingness to listen to each other’s perspectives. They have established ground rules for discussing politics, such as avoiding personal attacks and taking breaks when emotions run high.
One of the key challenges that the LMT household faces is finding common ground on important issues, such as healthcare, immigration, and gun control. While they may not always agree on these topics, they have learned to compromise and find solutions that work for both of them.
Living in a politically divided household can also have its benefits, as it encourages both partners to broaden their perspectives and consider different viewpoints. The LMT household has found that their debates have helped them grow as individuals and deepen their understanding of complex political issues.
Ultimately, the LMT household serves as a reminder that love and respect can transcend political differences. By approaching their relationship with empathy and understanding, they have been able to navigate the challenges of living in a divided household and emerge stronger as a couple. Their story serves as an inspiration for others who may find themselves in similar situations, showing that it is possible to find common ground and maintain a healthy relationship despite differing political beliefs.
