Poll: Plurality of Pennsylvanians Want Philly to Secede

The rest of the state wants Philadelphia out of Pennsylvania. But Philadelphians voted to “Philexit” as well.

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Pennsylvanians want Philadelphia to leave the state.

Not all of them, of course. But according to a new poll from conservative firm Harper Polling, among those who could decide, a plurality of Pennsylvanians selected the five-county Philadelphia region as the one they’d like to leave the commonwealth. A Philexit!

Harper asked 500 adults in the state earlier this month the following question: “As you may have heard, the United Kingdom recently voted to leave the European Union, an event that has been referred to in the media as Brexit, or the British Exit. Which region of Pennsylvania would you most like to see leave the Commonwealth in its own Brexit?”

Fifty-two percent weren’t sure. But 29 percent of Pennsylvanians say Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania should leave. No other region was close. Pittsburgh and the Southwest got 7 percent. Scranton/Lehigh Valley, South Central PA and the Northern PA all got four percent. Aw, well at least everyone was nice to York.

Philadelphia topped results in all regions, including 26 percent of people from the Philadelphia region who want the city to leave. That was the second-highest percentage of respondents from a region who wanted Philly to leave; Northern PA was highest with 31 percent voting Philly out. What did we ever do to you, Sayre?

The poll’s margin of error was ±4.4 percent. Harper also asked other fun questions of Pennsylvania residents. For example, 77 percent of Pennsylvanians call it “soda” and not “pop.” (Correct!) But a majority of the state says “you all” (46 percent) instead of the Philly proper “youse” (only 11 percent, though another 11 percent said they say “youse guys”).

Meanwhile, 72 percent of those polled prefer their local meteorologist to Punxsutawney Phil. (Ten percent aren’t sure.) Thirty-three percent chose the Jersey Shore as their top vacation destination. (Twenty-one percent say they like to vacation in Maryland instead.) And, finally, there is no consensus on Pennsylvania’s best brand of chips.

Utz edged ahead with 31 percent, but Herr’s is right behind at 29 percent. Poor Wise wasn’t even included in the poll.

Follow @dhm on Twitter.