In a tight presidential race, Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, will very likely decide the winner. And the state, which Donald J. Trump won in 2016 and President Biden won in 2020 by narrow margins, is up for grabs.
That’s clear in Berks County, which lies about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia where flourishing Democratic suburbs melt into conservative, rural Pennsylvania.
The mountains and low hills that make up most of the county are sprinkled with small towns and farms, while the county seat, Reading, is Pennsylvania’s fourth-largest city, with a substantial Latino majority. In 2020, Mr. Trump won the county by around 8 percentage points, the narrowest margin of the 54 counties that he won across the state.
Berks is “a big bag of marbles,” said Matthew Orifice, a longtime resident of Boyertown, Pa., “half of which are blue, half of which are red.”
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“Berks County is —”
“Berks County is —”
“A vast amount of farmland.”
“A vast amount of farmland.”
“It has a little bit of rural, suburban and urban.”
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“It has a little bit of rural, suburban and urban.”
“Wherever you go, either if you go to Boyertown or Birdsboro,
“Wherever you go, either if you go to Boyertown or Birdsboro,
you’re going to find that close-knit community.”
you’re going to find that close-knit community.”
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“We have different cultures, different backgrounds.”
“We have different cultures, different backgrounds.”
“I think this area represents
“I think this area represents
the United States of America very well.”
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the United States of America very well.”
“I am an organic vegetable farmer.”
“I am an organic vegetable farmer.”
“I have a soul food restaurant.”
“I have a soul food restaurant.”
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“Thirty-five years in public education.”
“Thirty-five years in public education.”
“I’m a truck driver.”
“I’m a truck driver.”
“I am a stay-at-home dad.”
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“I am a stay-at-home dad.”
“I teach beekeeping and I’m a beekeeper.”
“I teach beekeeping and I’m a beekeeper.”
“This is a tremendously important state.”
“This is a tremendously important state.”
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“Berks County, politically,
“Berks County, politically,
I think it’s up and down.”
I think it’s up and down.”
“I think it’s a mixed bag as far as politics is concerned.”
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“I think it’s a mixed bag as far as politics is concerned.”
“I would describe myself politically
“I would describe myself politically
as a conservative.”
as a conservative.”
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“Liberal, probably left of liberal.”
“Liberal, probably left of liberal.”
“Vote for Kamala Harris.
“Vote for Kamala Harris.
I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that.”
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I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that.”
“I lean totally with Trump.
“I lean totally with Trump.
I’m a Trump guy.”
I’m a Trump guy.”
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“I am a conservative.
“I am a conservative.
Latino values are conservative values.”
Latino values are conservative values.”
“I’m a very conservative man.”
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“I’m a very conservative man.”
“Registered Republican, who votes independently.
“Registered Republican, who votes independently.
“I am an undecided voter at this time.”
“I am an undecided voter at this time.”
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“It’s the most important state right now in this election.
“It’s the most important state right now in this election.
I think we’ve got to win Pennsylvania
I think we’ve got to win Pennsylvania
and Berks County for sure.”
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and Berks County for sure.”
Mr. Orifice, 56, says that people in the area with very different politics have come together on practical matters, like lobbying for school programs threatened by budget cuts.
He and more than two dozen Berks County residents interviewed this month described the county as a place that was mostly neighborly despite deep political disagreements. But nearly all of them worried that the growing toxicity of national politics had endangered that sense of community.
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Frustrations Over Cultural Division
People’s views are much more polarized on issues like abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. rights and immigration. And each side blames the other side’s party leaders for the rise in political tensions.
In a mostly white county that is also home to a large and growing Latino population, opinions on race and immigration can be complex. Trump supporters outside the city often described Reading in grim terms, but some said they liked the city’s current mayor, a Democrat and the first Latino to hold the office. Inside the city, some Latino residents felt strongly that too many people were coming into the United States and relying on government services.
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“Immigrants run the agriculture community in this country.”
“Immigrants run the agriculture community in this country.”
“Our economy will not function without immigration.”
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“Our economy will not function without immigration.”
“Here on my farm, we have H-2A workers.
“Here on my farm, we have H-2A workers.
If they left or couldn’t get those visas,
If they left or couldn’t get those visas,
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it would be hard filling those shoes.”
it would be hard filling those shoes.”
Hazleton, Pa., has the Walmart meatpacking plant.
Hazleton, Pa., has the Walmart meatpacking plant.
Locals didn’t want to do it,
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Locals didn’t want to do it,
so they brought in the Hispanics.
so they brought in the Hispanics.
They keep the economy going.”
They keep the economy going.”
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“This country is built on immigration.
“This country is built on immigration.
But you got to do it right.”
But you got to do it right.”
“You got to take care of your home first,
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“You got to take care of your home first,
as an American.”
as an American.”
“I think America is America, should stay America.
“I think America is America, should stay America.
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This is a privilege for all the Hispanics who can come in.
This is a privilege for all the Hispanics who can come in.
It’s a privilege.”
It’s a privilege.”
“If you’re coming here to harm our economy
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“If you’re coming here to harm our economy
or to drain the system,
or to drain the system,
then you need to go,
then you need to go,
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and you need to go with your American kids
and you need to go with your American kids
and then we’ll figure it out
and then we’ll figure it out
how to help those American citizens
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how to help those American citizens
that are leaving with you.
that are leaving with you.
But there’s got to be a point where we say enough is enough.”
But there’s got to be a point where we say enough is enough.”
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“You’re not going to deport
“You’re not going to deport
millions and millions of individuals.
millions and millions of individuals.
Mass deportation is a political stunt.”
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Mass deportation is a political stunt.”
“Nobody’s thinking about the human cost,
“Nobody’s thinking about the human cost,
the financial cost
the financial cost
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and the hit to the reputation
and the hit to the reputation
that this would be for our country.”
that this would be for our country.”
“We got to put America first —
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“We got to put America first —
border closed.”
border closed.”
The people who were really sowing discord, many Trump supporters insisted, were the Democrats with their emphasis on race and gender, particularly in schools.
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“The people in power are splitting people into all these special groups,” said Randy Bleyer, 68, a retired machinist at a local polymer plant. “They’re pushing division.”
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“I was a Democrat before, I voted Democrat.”
“I was a Democrat before, I voted Democrat.”
“I voted for Obama to start with.
“I voted for Obama to start with.
You know, as a Black man, I was so excited.”
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You know, as a Black man, I was so excited.”
“Obama pushed a lot of the L.G.T.B. agenda.”
“Obama pushed a lot of the L.G.T.B. agenda.”
“L.G.B.T.Q. — to me it’s only L.G.B.
“L.G.B.T.Q. — to me it’s only L.G.B.
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This whole craziness with the ‘I’m transgender.’
This whole craziness with the ‘I’m transgender.’
What is that?”
What is that?”
“It’s OK to be gay,
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“It’s OK to be gay,
totally, but it’s not OK to push the gay agenda on kids.”
totally, but it’s not OK to push the gay agenda on kids.”
“Right now, I feel like there’s a lot of activism,
“Right now, I feel like there’s a lot of activism,
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teaching kids about sex, transgenderism
teaching kids about sex, transgenderism
and all this rainbow alphabet letters.
and all this rainbow alphabet letters.
Once I realized all that, I took my kids
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Once I realized all that, I took my kids
out of the public system and they went private.”
out of the public system and they went private.”
“People should be able to choose
“People should be able to choose
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what they want to do, when they want to do it.
what they want to do, when they want to do it.
If they want to go from male to female, fine.
If they want to go from male to female, fine.
It doesn’t bother me.
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It doesn’t bother me.
And I don’t think it should be an issue
And I don’t think it should be an issue
anyplace in the country.”
anyplace in the country.”
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“To think that boys will always be boys,
“To think that boys will always be boys,
and girls must be girls, misses the fact that
and girls must be girls, misses the fact that
our brains don’t necessarily coordinate
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our brains don’t necessarily coordinate
with what our bodies look like.”
with what our bodies look like.”
“The Democratic Party has moved too much to the left.”
“The Democratic Party has moved too much to the left.”
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“Kamala Harris comes to cater
“Kamala Harris comes to cater
to the Latinos in a certain way,
to the Latinos in a certain way,
to the Blacks in a certain way,
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to the Blacks in a certain way,
to the Caucasians —
to the Caucasians —
upper middle class in another way.
upper middle class in another way.
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No, I want to know what you’re bringing for all of us.
No, I want to know what you’re bringing for all of us.
We are all the same.”
We are all the same.”
“We just push away so many people, and we’re going to live
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“We just push away so many people, and we’re going to live
in a world so sterile it will be like a hospital room.”
in a world so sterile it will be like a hospital room.”
Shavona Johnson, 37, who works for the state’s Department of Corrections, said she believed that the Democrats were trying to foster racial conflict to get votes and that the contentious debates about accepting refugees were just another part of that strategy.
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She said she fully supported Mr. Trump’s proposal to round up and deport everyone who was in the country illegally. “There’s some countries that won’t even allow Americans to get citizenship,” she said. “Why do we have to be the one that’s open?”
Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris said there were other issues more important to them, including abortion rights and reducing healthcare costs.
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“When I think about when Roe v. Wade was overturned,
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“When I think about when Roe v. Wade was overturned,
that was one of the most depressing moments
that was one of the most depressing moments
of my life as an American.”
of my life as an American.”
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“The women in my life are very motivated
“The women in my life are very motivated
because it’s personal.”
because it’s personal.”
“Do you really want a woman to die of sepsis
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“Do you really want a woman to die of sepsis
because she can’t get the appropriate care that she needs
because she can’t get the appropriate care that she needs
after a miscarriage or during a miscarriage?”
after a miscarriage or during a miscarriage?”
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“Abortion, I believe, abortion is no good
“Abortion, I believe, abortion is no good
for the American people here.
for the American people here.
It’s changing the fabric of the American country.”
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It’s changing the fabric of the American country.”
“The only party that represents my values — pro-family,
“The only party that represents my values — pro-family,
pro-life —
pro-life —
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it’s the Republican Party.”
it’s the Republican Party.”
“You only talk about women.
“You only talk about women.
You don’t talk about the men who impregnate them
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You don’t talk about the men who impregnate them
and then walk away.”
and then walk away.”
“That’s what drives me crazy.
“That’s what drives me crazy.
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It takes two to tango.”
It takes two to tango.”
“No government official should be telling a woman what to do.
“No government official should be telling a woman what to do.
The Republican Party has gone
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The Republican Party has gone
far beyond their pro-life position.
far beyond their pro-life position.
They can believe in it,
They can believe in it,
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but now they’re insisting on it through laws.”
but now they’re insisting on it through laws.”
“You tell me what the Republican Party
“You tell me what the Republican Party
does to take care of those children
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does to take care of those children
that they are going to force to be born.”
that they are going to force to be born.”
“I feel like Kamala Harris 100 percent speaks to me.
“I feel like Kamala Harris 100 percent speaks to me.
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When she talks about a woman’s right to choose,
When she talks about a woman’s right to choose,
and abortion rights, that 100 percent talks to me.”
and abortion rights, that 100 percent talks to me.”
“You’re not talking to me.
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“You’re not talking to me.
You’re not talking to me as a woman.
You’re not talking to me as a woman.
You’re not talking to me as a mother.
You’re not talking to me as a mother.
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And you’re definitely not talking to me as an American.”
And you’re definitely not talking to me as an American.”
Many said they were also deeply uneasy about the condition of the social fabric in Berks County. Several said that Mr. Trump had stirred up a small but belligerent subset of supporters who seemed to have become more hostile as the election approached.
“It’s a daily bombardment of hatred,” said Liz Groh, 62, who works at a restaurant in a suburb of Reading.
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Who Can Bridge the Divide?
When Gary Simmons and Luther Crosby sat and joked at Mr. Simmons’s house in the countryside, it was easy to see the neighborly Berks County that many spoke about.
Mr. Crosby, 73, is a white Vietnam War veteran who helps Mr. Simmons tinker with old cars, and he is a staunch Trump supporter, proudly advertising his sardonic right-wing politics in a mosaic of bumper stickers. Mr. Simmons, 65, a Black man who served as a Marine and worked in a steel mill, is not as outspoken about his support for Ms. Harris, but he gets a kick out of his friend’s brashness.
Both men are worried about the vitriol in the country. But even as they echo one another in lamenting the political division these days, they have fundamental disagreements on which candidate would best bridge those divides. And they’re not alone.
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“How would I describe the state of the country?”
“How would I describe the state of the country?”
“Hmm — hold on.
“Hmm — hold on.
Let me think about that huge question.”
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Let me think about that huge question.”
“The No. 1 concern I have is civility.
“The No. 1 concern I have is civility.
We’ve gone back to the Wild Wild West.”
We’ve gone back to the Wild Wild West.”
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“Unfortunately, nowadays we have lost
“Unfortunately, nowadays we have lost
a lot of respect for each other.”
a lot of respect for each other.”
“When I first put out my Kamala Harris sign,
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“When I first put out my Kamala Harris sign,
I was nervous for my safety.”
I was nervous for my safety.”
“For a fellow American
“For a fellow American
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not to be able to place a Trump sign in their house
not to be able to place a Trump sign in their house
because they’re afraid to be stigmatized,
because they’re afraid to be stigmatized,
it troubles me.”
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it troubles me.”
“I had a Joe Biden sign out and
“I had a Joe Biden sign out and
somebody put a dead raccoon on the sign.”
somebody put a dead raccoon on the sign.”
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“I would have worn my Trump apparel, if you will,
“I would have worn my Trump apparel, if you will,
four years ago.
four years ago.
Right now, I would not.”
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Right now, I would not.”
“Oh my God,
“Oh my God,
if Trump becomes president—”
if Trump becomes president—”
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“If Harris gets elected,
“If Harris gets elected,
it’s game over.”
it’s game over.”
“What troubles me about what will happen to our country
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“What troubles me about what will happen to our country
if this election is won by Mr. Trump
if this election is won by Mr. Trump
is that we will stop being the longest-living
is that we will stop being the longest-living
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democracy in the modern world.”
democracy in the modern world.”
“Even if we get through this, whoever wins,
“Even if we get through this, whoever wins,
we’re still in this 50-50 country.”
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we’re still in this 50-50 country.”
“I think we will return to civility if
“I think we will return to civility if
the Democratic Party is successful.
the Democratic Party is successful.
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And that’s coming from a Republican.”
And that’s coming from a Republican.”
Mr. Crosby insisted that giving away too much money in foreign aid, while not being strict enough with border enforcement, had left the country a mess. But he thought it had become harder to fix because of unbending partisanship. “When did that ever start?” he asked. “I thought we were one country.”
Gary Simmons and Luther Crosby
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Mr. Simmons agreed with some of this, though he was not as nostalgic as his friend. When he moved from Reading to rural Berks County around 50 years ago, he said in an interview before Mr. Crosby’s visit, he had a “hell of a time” as one of the few Black students in his school. He believed things had changed for the better since then.
But then came 2016 and Mr. Trump’s arrival onto the political scene. Mr. Simmons said some of those old, hateful sentiments returned.
“I don’t know how much longer the Lord is going to have me here to see all of this carrying on, but he cannot ever step foot in that office again,” Mr. Simmons said of Mr. Trump. “I think the man is just a ticking bomb.”
