In a dramatic sprint that started several years ago, Carbon County Republicans have achieved voter-registration parity with Democrats. In fact, according to the latest figures from the Pennsylvania Department of State, going into today’s primary elections, both parties have the same number of registered voters: 18,142.

Just five years ago, Democrats enjoyed a voter-registration margin of 4,173. Republicans made significant strides since 2013, enhanced by an overwhelming vote for President Donald Trump in 2016. The GOP trend continued last year and into the first four months of this year.

Going into the spring primaries of 2015, Carbon Republicans trailed the Democrats by 3,918; in 2016, the difference was cut to 1,953, and in 2017, the Democrats’ lead had dwindled to 382. Since the latest registration period opened after the November 2017 general election, Carbon Republicans added 92 new voters while Carbon Democrats were able to register just 14 more.

The 122nd House District (Doyle Heffley, incumbent) has tilted Republican by a margin of 463: 17,428 to 16,965. The district includes all of Carbon County except for the borough of Summit Hill. If Summit Hill were included in the district, Democrats would have a voter-registration margin of 18, because there are 1,129 Democrats and 648 Republicans registered in Summit Hill.

In the five-county Times News area, Democrats still hold a commanding lead, 303,782 to 246,853. An additional 37,956 are registered as independent, nonpartisan or with third parties.

Statewide, Democrats added nearly 6,000 more voters than Republicans coming out of the 2017 general election. The Democrats have registered 4,042,831; the Republicans, 3,227,384, a difference of 815,447. There are 445,869 others registered statewide.

Among local counties, Republicans hold a voter-registration lead only in Schuylkill County, 43,120 to 31,742.

Democrats lead in Monroe, 49,177 to 35,286; Northampton, 94,348 to 72,011, and Lehigh, 110,373 to 78,294.

Here are registrations by other area House districts (incumbents in parentheses):

• 22nd, Lehigh (Peter Schweyer) — Democrats, 22,063, Republicans, 5,495

• 115th, Monroe (Maureen Madden) — Democrats, 21,294, Republicans, 10,635

• 123rd, Schuylkill (Neal Goodman) — Democrats, 14,747, Republicans, 12,935

• 124th, Schuylkill (Jerry Knowles) — Republicans, 20,278, Democrats, 12,802

• 125th, Schuylkill (Mike Tobash) — Republicans, 20,906, Democrats, 11,269

• 131st, Lehigh, Northampton (Justin Simmons) — Republicans, 20,336, Democrats, 16,971

• 132nd, Lehigh (Mike Schlossberg) — Democrats, 22,107, Republicans, 8,797

• 133rd, Lehigh (Jeanne McNeill) — Democrats, 20,801, Republicans, 10,906

• 134th, Lehigh) (Ryan MacKenzie) — Republicans, 19,726, Democrats, 16,926

• 135th, Northampton (Steve Samuelson) — Democrats, 23,976, Republicans, 10,183

• 136th, Northampton (Robert Freeman) — Democrats, 21,214, Republicans, 11,838.

• 137th, Northampton (Joe Emrick) — Democrats, 17,806, Republicans, 17,728

• 138th, Northampton (Marcia Hahn) — Republicans, 19,923, Democrats, 18,553.

• 176th, Monroe (Jack Rader) — Democrats, 17,676, Republicans, 15,682

• 183rd, Northampton, Lehigh (Zach Mako) — Democrats, 17,334, Republicans, 17,125

• 187th, Lehigh (Gary Day) — Republicans, 19,725, Democrats, 15,737

• 189th, Monroe (Rosemary Brown) — Democrats, 18,330, Republicans, 14,947

The next voter-registration period opens after today’s primary elections and will close one month before the Nov. 6 general election.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com