Biden and allied Republicans are trying to rally GOP women in Philly suburbs away from Trump

Much smaller shares of Democratic-leaning suburban women pointed to other concerns, like the conflict between the Israelis and Hamas, the economy or his performance as president.

Suburban women voters were generally much likelier to say that Biden respects women, compared to Trump. About 7 in 10 suburban women voters said Biden respects women a lot or some, compared to only about 3 in 10 suburban women who said that about Trump. Nearly 7 in 10 suburban women said Trump doesn’t respect women much, or at all.

But when asked about the most important issue for their 2024 vote, suburban women were most likely to point to inflation.

Terry Sykes, the owner of the boutique and spa along Newtown’s quaint State Street, says the local economy matters most to her.

It thrived, she said, during Trump’s administration, “like turning on a light switch.”

“To be clear, all of Trump’s policy positions support how I live my life,” the 61-year-old Sykes said. “I mean, he is who he is. And women need to get over it. Because it’s all about the policy and the health of our economy.”

Anusha Bela, working from a laptop in a coffee shop in Doylestown’s bustling downtown, had been a more fervent Biden supporter early on, but became disappointed with what she viewed as his slow response to Israel’s violence in Gaza.

“And would I prefer someone younger? Yes. Would I prefer someone who seems to have newer ideas? Yes,” the 40-year-old sports business consultant in a Philadelphia Phillies cap said.

“But Trump is a danger to democracy,” she said.

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Associated Press writer Amelia Thomson DeVeaux in Washington contributed to this report.