Civic Register
| 3.12.18

Democrat Conor Lamb Wins Pennsylvania Special Election

Join us and tell your reps how you feel!

UPDATED - March 15, 2018: In a stunning upset, Democrat Conor Lamb claimed a razor-thin victory over Republican Rick Saccone in a special House election for Pennsylvania's 18th district.

  • Lamb, a former prosecutor, won by around 627 votes.

  • The seat had been so reliably red that Democrats hadn't fielded candidates in the 2016 and 2014 elections.

  • The National Republican Congressional Committee said they're "not conceding anything" and have issued a call for voters to report any voting irregularities:

  • President Donald Trump, who had campaigned for Saccone, told donors at a private fundraiser on Wednesday that Lamb triumphed because he ran "like Trump."

“The young man last night that ran, he said, ‘Oh, I’m like Trump. Second Amendment, everything. I love the tax cuts, everything.’ He ran on that basis. He ran on a campaign that said very nice things about me. I said, ‘Is he a Republican? He sounds like a Republican to me.’”

Countable's original story appears below.

Pennsylvania Special Election

What’s the story?

  • The first special election of 2018 will occur on Tuesday, March 13, pitting Republican Rick Saccone against Democrat Conor Lamb for a Pennsylvania congressional seat.

  • The seat opened after Republican Rep. Tim Murphy, who was staunchly anti-abortion, resigned following reports that he asked his mistress to get an abortion.

What do the numbers look like?

  • President Donald Trump won the 18th District by nearly 20 points in the 2016 election with 58 percent of the vote.

  • A recent Emerson College survey, however, found Lamb leading Saccone by 48-45.

  • The Center for Responsive Politics reported that both sides had spent a total of $15.6 million: $10.9 by Saccone, $4.74 million by Lamb.

Trump campaigning for Saccone

  • Trump travelled to western Pennsylvania Saturday night for a campaign-style rally in support of Saccone. “This guy should win easily,” the president told a crowd of supporters. “I think he is handsome,” Trump added to cheers.

Who’s voting tomorrow? Where do I vote?

What happens to the winner?

  • Whoever emerges victorious in the special election will have to run, again, to keep their seat in the November 2018 election.

  • By then, the 18th District will have its boundaries adjusted: earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the state’s congressional district map was in violation of the state constitution as a partisan gerrymander, and ordered new maps drawn.

What do you think?

Would a win by Lamb indicate a “blue wave”? Can President Trump rally his blue-collar base behind his party? Can Democrats compete in Republican districts? Have any of Trump’s policies – tax cuts, tariffs, gun legislation – changed your vote? Do you live in Pennsylvania, or one of the other states that have been subject to partisan gerrymanders? Hit Take Action and tell your reps what issues are important to you, then share your thoughts below.

—Josh Herman

Related Reading

(Photo Credit: Young84 / iStock)