Scranton, an electric city and the childhood hometown of President Joe Biden, is likely to be in political headlines throughout the 2024 election season.
This is mainly due to the city’s location in northeastern Pennsylvania, one of the most hotly contested regions in arguably the most important battleground states: The city has seen visits from candidates of both major parties during the 2020 election, and is scheduled for a two-day visit by the president in 2024.
Violent crime has been a major problem in Scranton and the surrounding area: in the first five months of 2024, there were five homicides in the city, far exceeding the annual total in recent years.
There have been three homicides in Scranton throughout 2023, and in previous years the city recorded one or two homicides per year. It was not uncommon for Scranton to have zero homicides in a year, as it was in 2019.
Scranton residents are not used to this kind of carnage happening so close to home: In March, a young man named Jose Miguel Tatis Camilo was shot during an armed robbery of a gas station and convenience store, and died a few days later. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
A few days later, a man was killed in his home during a drug-related robbery. In April, a gang assault and shooting near a city park left one person dead. Later in April, a man killed his brother during an argument between siblings. And in May, a man was found unconscious in his car, having been shot to death after a drug deal gone wrong.
Other acts of violence have also worried Scranton residents. Auto thefts have been rampant, with one resident having his car taken at gunpoint. 2024 got off to a frightening start when Scranton Police Detective Kyle Gilmartin was shot twice in the head while investigating a gang-related shooting in the early hours of January.
Miraculously, the detective survived. Later that month, a juvenile was detained with a gun outside Scranton High School. He planned to shoot rival gang members. In April, fans at a Scranton Prep School lacrosse game were escorted to their cars by police after hearing gunfire nearby. In June, Scranton police and SWAT officers were shot at while responding to a domestic incident.
Scranton residents are wondering when this lawlessness will end. With space in juvenile detention centers running out, the county commission recently approved turning part of the county jail into a juvenile housing unit.
The crime spike has been an eye-opener for many longtime Scranton residents, who say that until recently, gang problems and shootings were not a concern for most.
It’s true that crime has risen across the US since the pandemic began, and that many other small and mid-sized cities still envy Scranton’s relative safety, but that’s of little consolation to residents who are now afraid to walk through their own neighborhoods.
It remains to be seen whether crime concerns will sway voters, even though national polls consistently show voters trust Republicans to tackle crime, often by large margins.
Most Scranton-area Democrats, who have dominated city and county government for decades, have adopted a tougher-on-crime, more pro-police stance than many of their vocal, far-left colleagues in other parts of the country.
The Scranton area could be key in an election that will determine the balance of power in Congress: Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, a Scranton native like Biden, faces a tough re-election battle against Republican Dave McCormick.
The region is also the scene of one of the most competitive races for the U.S. House of Representatives, with newcomer Rob Bresnahan facing off against longtime Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright, whose district and surrounding area are key to Cartwright’s reelection chances.
If the general election results in Scranton turn out to be a few shades bluer than usual in this traditionally Democratic region, it could be enough for Bresnahan to win, as the rest of the district is Republican-friendly.
Concerns about crime could also have an impact on key state legislative elections. Democrats currently hold a one-seat advantage in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and the 118th Congressional District is one of the hot spots for Republicans to retake. Rep. Jim Haddock represents the 118th Congressional District, which does not include Scranton, but does include towns that border it. It’s easy to imagine voters there worrying about violence spilling over into their neighborhoods.
But the editorial board of one local newspaper isn’t buying any of this. In its May 26, 2024 issue, the paper urged readers: “Don’t take the rhetoric at face value. Crime is down across the board.”
The editorial asserts that public concerns about crime are “exaggerated” and fueled by “partisan rhetoric.” The paper assures Scranton residents that “our neighborhoods are the safest they have been in more than a decade.”
Come November, we’ll know whether the newspapers and public opinion are right about the crimes in Scranton — and the verdict could have ramifications far beyond Pennsylvania’s sixth-largest city.
Tyler Day is a lifelong resident of Northeastern Pennsylvania and became active in local politics during his college years during the 2012 election cycle. He currently works in the economic development field and previously served as Chief of Staff to a Pennsylvania House of Representatives member. Tyler and his wife live in Scranton.
