The outcome of Tuesday’s election may provide insight into what’s to come in 2024.
The Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce (GSVCC) and President and CEO Bob Garrett hosted Charlie Gerow, political strategist, to discuss Tuesday’s outcome and what happens next.
Gerow said he began his career working for President Ronald Reagan and stayed involved in politics and public policy, also working closely with Fred Keller. For 25 years, Gerow has done political commentary for CBS 21 in Harrisburg.
To sum up Tuesday’s events, Gerow said it was a tough night for Republicans across the commonwealth with Democrats securing the seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
“We’ve seen how vitally important the courts are on a number of issues,” Gerow said. “Whenever you have an activist court, it doesn’t go well for the business community.”
Though many may have considered it an “off year,” Garrett and Gerow both stressed the importance of municipal elections. The strategist said this level of government is what impacts people the most.
Pertaining to the municipal elections, Gerow said there was a consistent increase in interest in school board positions.
“We saw a really heightened awareness of and interest in school boards,” he said. “In my judgment, that’s a good thing. It used to be a thing where you would struggle to find candidates for school board.”
The strategist also discussed the impact of mail-in votes and what to expect of them for years to come. Gerow said he expects mail-in voting to stick around for the foreseeable future.
In upcoming elections, Gerow said Republicans should reach out to voters in the same way Democrats have.
“Republicans have got to reach out and do what the Democrats have done to get people to vote who wouldn’t have voted otherwise,” he said.
As another presidential election approaches, many conversations have suggested the race will again come down to former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, but Gerow said he doesn’t think this will be the case.
“Poll after poll, most Democrats don’t think Biden is up to the job. Now, you have Democratic leaders saying it and they typically don’t do that publicly,” Gerow said. “Whether or not Donald Trump will be chosen to run is another question. He has a Republican base here. If we had a primary today, he would win.”
