Population growth in Chester County and other Philadelphia suburbs has helped Democrats in the last several elections. If they keep the momentum, Kamala Harris could secure a win in Pennsylvania come November, writes Katie Bernard and Aseem Shukla for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

People from the city have started relocating to suburbs in larger numbers in recent years in search of lower housing prices, more open space, and quieter communities. 

Once predominantly a rural community, East Brandywine Township has become a picture of suburban sprawl with many new housing developments replacing former farmland. The population shift has introduced a political shift as well. 

In 2012, the township was won by Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Four years later, former president Donald Trump carried one of its three voting precincts, and East Brandywine narrowly went for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

In 2020, President Joe Biden comfortably carried the whole township. 

East Brandywine is a good example of Chester County as a whole. The county has voted for the Democratic candidate three times in the last four presidential elections. Prior to that, the county voted for a Republican candidate all but twice since 1880. 

Read more about how Chester County and the suburbs can impact Pennsylvania in the election in The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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