From 'Scranton Joe' to 'Scranton Schmo' to 'Scranton No': Biden Approval Rating Plummets in Home District

Voters in “Scranton Joe” Biden’s home district are souring on the historically unpopular president, polling obtained by the Washington Free Beacon shows.

Just 38 percent of voters in Pennsylvania’s Eighth Congressional District—which includes Biden’s hometown of Scranton—approve of the president, compared with 60 percent who disapprove, according to a recent Cygnal poll.

The survey, which was commissioned by Republican congressional hopeful Jim Bognet’s campaign and shared with the Free Beacon, comes as Keystone State residents deal with record-high inflation—in June, for example, the average price for a gallon of gas in Pennsylvania exceeded $5 for the first time ever.

Biden has long touted his Scranton upbringing in an attempt to appeal to working-class Americans, a tactic that likely helped the Democrat narrowly carry Pennsylvania in 2020. Roughly a year and a half into his presidency, however, Biden’s “Joe from Scranton” image has quickly deteriorated, a development that does not reflect well on Democrats’ midterm chances.

Beyond the eighth district, just 34 percent of Pennsylvania voters back Biden’s performance as president, compared with 55 percent who disapprove, according to Civiqs.