Pennsylvania Bakery’s Unique Cookie Poll Predicts 2024 US Presidential Election
Lochel’s Bakery in Hatboro uses sweet treats to gauge political sentiment
While traditional publications and think tanks are busy conducting frequent polls and surveys to capture the voter sentiment for the upcoming November election, a bakery in Pennsylvania has taken an unorthodox approach. Lochel’s Bakery, situated in the swing state of Pennsylvania, is using cookie sales to predict the winner of the 2024 presidential election.
A sweet electoral indicator
Owned and operated by Katheleen Lochel, Lochel’s Bakery is tracking the sales of Trump-themed and Harris-themed cookies to gauge public support. These butter-based cookies come adorned with either red-and-white or blue-and-white sprinkles, with banners reading ‘Trump 2024’ or ‘Harris 2024’ emblazoned across the center.
As of Friday, September 13, the bakery reported selling 5,200 Trump cookies compared to just 500 Harris cookies. “In Pennsylvania, almost all of the shipping has been red. We have only shipped seven packages of blue in Pennsylvania,” the bakery revealed.
A proven track record
This innovative polling method is not new for Lochel’s Bakery. The third-generation establishment has been running this ‘sugary’ poll since 2012 and has accurately predicted the outcome of three out of the last four elections. The only miss was in 2020, when Joe Biden outperformed Trump, despite the bakery selling 31,804 Trump cookies compared to 5,750 Biden cookies.
Debate dynamics
The cookie poll coincides with the heated Trump vs. Harris debate held on Tuesday, September 10, which attracted 67 million viewers. Harris emerged as the debate’s clear winner, despite a nervous start.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that 53 percent of viewers supported Harris’s performance, compared to 24 percent for Trump. The former president appeared rattled after Harris baited him with a comment about his rallies.
Shift in public sentiment
Post-debate polls and surveys have shown a significant shift in favor of Harris, who has gained ground after trailing Trump while Biden was still in the race. According to a survey conducted by Data for Progress from September 11 to 12, Harris is now leading Trump by four points nationwide, with 50 percent backing her compared to Trump’s 46 percent.
As the election approaches, all eyes will be on Lochel’s Bakery to see if their cookie poll can once again predict the outcome of the presidential race.