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After Republicans suffered a bruising election night in Virginia, the governor of the state once part of the commonwealth issued a public invitation for disillusioned residents to head west.
That and other invitations from other states came as the trend of people fleeing New York City and New Jersey following prior elections continues to change political dynamics, including in one of the biggest swing states.
“It’s about to get awful blue in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said after urban and suburban areas turned out en-masse Democrats and overwhelmed comparatively anemic GOP turnout.
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“Don’t wait for the high taxes and heavy regulations to come, now is your chance to escape to ‘Wild and Wonderful’ West Virginia,” Morrisey added Wednesday, citing the state’s famous tagline.
While it lost a congressional seat in the last census, West Virginia has since seen population expansion in its two panhandles – the eastern being 70-90 miles from Washington and the northern equally proximate to Pittsburgh. It was part of Virginia until 1863.
Also bordering Virginia, some officials in Kentucky also welcomed the prospect of right-leaning voters relocating to the other side of Pine Mountain – in Kentucky.
“Kentucky is open for business,” Attorney General Russell Coleman told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
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“Any Virginia family or business who wants to trade one commonwealth for another and enjoy our safe streets, competitive utility rates and respect for the rule of law is welcome.”
Coleman said that while political conditions in Richmond may appear cloudy to some, things are looking up for those eyeing Frankfort:
“It’s the beginning of college basketball season, and there’s no better time to be a Kentuckian,” Coleman quipped.
While not considered a true swing state, Kentucky has a Democratic governor, two Republican senators, and a similar dynamic to other swing states in that its rural areas are heavily red but sparsely populated compared to blue strongholds like Lexington and Louisville.
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Further north, Pennsylvania is making its own pitch — one that predates the Civil War but has newfound relevance.
A bipartisan bill introduced earlier this year would provide such assistance to new Pennsylvanians and any residents who have not yet purchased a home.
“Buying a home is a significant milestone for many individuals and families that creates opportunities for growing families as well as the accrual of generational wealth,” state Reps. Nathan Davidson, D-Camp Hill, and Thomas Kutz, R-Mount Holly Springs, said in a statement on their bill.
Many people, including former New Yorkers, brave the two- to three-hour commute to the Big Apple to retain their jobs – in exchange for lower taxes and better quality of life.
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That has resulted in a political purpling of northeastern Pennsylvania – as the once-Republican-friendly region has given way to narrow U.S. House races in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos.
As Billy Joel’s “Allentown” foretold, the region has been undergoing change for decades, shifting away from now-defunct Bethlehem Steel and other industry – and becoming a hub for warehousing and technology, as real estate costs both residential and commercial rise but not to the height of New Jersey and New York City.
Nearly 50,000 New York residents moved to Pennsylvania in 2022 alone, while 40,000 New Jerseyans did the same that year.
During his race, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli praised Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro for the state’s more favorable climate compared to his own.
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That ultimately led Shapiro to remind voters he was supporting Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill.
Fox News Digital reached out to Shapiro for comment on the continued westward exodus.
State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg, a top member of the majority’s caucus and potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate, told Fox News Digital he would welcome more Americans wishing to “escape the high taxes, soft-on-crime policies, and heavy-handed government mandates” that have made New Jersey and other blue states “unaffordable and unsafe.”
“Pennsylvania is a beautiful, free, and opportunity-rich state. We know that many of the folks coming here share our values: faith, family, freedom, and fiscal sanity,” he said.
“They want safe neighborhoods, good schools, and leaders who put citizens first — not ideology. And we welcome them with open arms.”
However, he offered a warning to any new residents bringing their home-state policies with them.
“I gently urge those arriving from failed blue states to leave behind the politics that caused them to leave in the first place,” the retired Army colonel said.
“Pennsylvania doesn’t need to become the next New Jersey or Northern Virginia. What we have here is worth protecting,” he said.
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