Dem voter edge shrinks in Pa.

Pennsylvania Democrats have a smaller advantage over Republicans in voter registration than four years ago, according to the most recent state figures.

Democrats had a 1.2 million voter advantage when Barack Obama carried Pennsylvania in 2008, but that number has shrunk by 168,000 voters since then.

In a state where Obama won by more than 600,000 votes over John McCain, the new numbers don’t represent dramatic GOP gains or significant Democratic erosion. But it does bolster the narrative that Pennsylvania is going to be a tougher proposition for the president than it was four years ago when he won by 54 percent to 44 percent.