Richard Speicher and Mary Gensheimer are lifelong Republicans and lifelong residents of Erie County. A yard sign that was, until recently, on their front lawn in their suburban home displayed the political homelessness they feel in their party and their community.
The couple had put up a “Republican voters against Trump” sign, only to find it missing one evening when they returned from dinner. Speicher and Gensheimer say they aren’t sure if it was a prank or a neighbor sending a message about their political views. Regardless, they decided to send a message of their own in Pennsylvania’s primary this spring, voting for Nikki Haley — even though she had dropped out of the race weeks prior.
“Trump is not a representative candidate of the Republican Party. He might be what they represent now, but as lifelong Republicans, we both come from a much different tradition,” Speicher said. “The only choice available was Nikki Haley.”
“I think the hope was that there’d be enough people that at least indicated their dissatisfaction with a candidate to send some kind of message even though she wasn’t in the race,” Gensheimer added.
The couple represents a critical bloc of voters — in this key county in a battleground state and across the country — who are up for grabs heading into what’s expected to be an extremely competitive general election. While many of these voters will ultimately come home and support the GOP ticket, others are weighing backing President Joe Biden — or casting another protest vote in November.
Haley garnered almost 20% of the vote in Erie County in Pennsylvania’s April presidential primary, six weeks after she ended her candidacy. That’s a warning sign for former President Donald Trump, given Erie’s bellwether status: the county voted for the winner of the state, and the presidency overall, the last four elections.
