What One PA is Doing to Engage Black Voters in Pennsylvania

The must-win state of Pennsylvania, where white working-class voters make up nearly half of the electorate, is tough territory for Kamala Harris. To win here, she must match “Scranton Joe” Biden’s 2020 margins in rural areas and with non-college whites while building on recent Democratic gains with Pennsylvania’s college-educated voters.

But Harris must do one other thing to carry the Keystone State, which is absolutely essential: Catalyze strong Black turnout and win these voters overwhelmingly. If she fails here, she could lose the election. 

Pennsylvania is a Tough State for Harris

There are reasons to be nervous. The most recent New York Times/Siena poll of Pennsylvania found Harris with 80% Black support, 10 points below Biden’s vote share. But the bigger challenge may lie with turnout. Black voter participation in Pennsylvania has fallen over the last two election cycles. If that trend continues this year, along with defections to Trump, it could doom Harris’s chances in Pennsylvania. 

There’s still time for donors to help. Blue Tent recommends supporting One PA, a top grassroots group engaging Black voters. At this urgent moment, One PA is scrambling to raise a final $100,000 to bolster its canvassing operation.

Polls show a tied race in Pennsylvania. If you live in that state, you’re seeing back-to-back TV ads—for both the presidential race and a high-stakes Senate contest that’s tightened in recent days, endangering Democrat Bob Casey. 

But the thing about all those ads is that they’re unlikely to move many low- or moderate-propensity Black voters to cast ballots. This challenge requires a very different approach. You need organizers who know these communities and make repeated contact with people, explaining why their vote can make a difference. 

How One PA Builds Trust and Wins Votes

One PA has a strong record of making these connections. Founded in 2011, it grew out of the fight for higher wages and a fairer economy in Pennsylvania. Over the years, working in Black neighborhoods across the state, it’s built up a strong membership organization. It’s leveraged that base to drive voter registration, persuasion, and turnout efforts targeting Pennsylvania’s five most heavily Black counties—with a big focus on Philadelphia, home to more than half the state’s Black voters. 

This year, One PA has been knocking on thousands of doors and also engaging voters through phone and text banking. Now, with just two weeks till Election Day and early voting underway, it’s trying to further turbocharge its field operations. It needs a last-minute infusion of funds to retain its canvassers through Election Day and hire new ones for the final GOTV push. Please support this important work.