In Western Pa. special election, Dem Conor Lamb aims to shock Trump country
"I got at least three votes in every election," she said -- from family.
Yet Rizzo, 29, was among hundreds of optimistic
The race for the open
Trump and Vice President Pence have each visited to support the Republican nominee, State Rep.
The heavy-hitting campaigning ahead of Tuesday's vote underscores the symbolism of this race because in strictly practical terms, the stakes are relatively small: a nine-month unfinished term that won't change control of the House.
Another election will follow quickly in November, when control of the chamber is truly at stake, and both candidates say that win or lose Tuesday they'll keep campaigning for the fall race. Lamb may even do it in a different district, since a new congressional map would shift his
But given the deep-red district in play, members of both parties say that a Democratic victory could signal a coming political wave. A
"If I'm a Republican out East and I see a Democrat win in this
The seat came open after Rep.
It should be safely Republican turf: A largely white district that includes prosperous suburbs of
Yet public polls show Lamb with a narrow lead heading into the final days, and
A conservative state legislator who once sponsored a bill to require public schools to post "In
As much as anything, the 60-year-old candidate has latched himself to Trump and is warning voters that the president's agenda is on the line.
"We've elected a president with an agenda that the people wanted, and he's getting beat up, mostly by the media," Saccone said Wednesday outside
Lamb, who knocked on doors this week in khakis and a blue
He supports Trump's tariff, has strong backing from labor unions, and has joined his party in assailing the
Asked what makes him identify as a Democrat, Lamb said: "
If he can win over working-class voters who backed Trump, he might demonstrate a path forward for
Yet his breaks with party orthodoxy also raise questions for a restive liberal base where many argue for the unbridled liberalism of
Outside Lamb's rally with Biden at
"While I can't wait for us to get rid of Trump, we can't do anything if we don't have the House," said Rizzo, of
Nearby,
And
In a district that Saccone calls "Trump country," however, Lamb will need support from more than traditional
Biden never mentioned Trump. Instead, he delivered a paean to the working class and assailed
"I know this state, I know this region, I know what it's made up of, I know the values that underpin all of what you believe in -- family, community, again, not leaving anybody behind. And so many people are being left behind by the policies we are dealing with today," Biden said.
Some
Saccone said Lamb would be "led around by the nose" by
Democratic groups have spent a little more than
In part, that's because Lamb has far out-raised Saccone -- roughly
Saccone's message has sunk in with at least some Republican voters.
In downtown
"For the first time in as long as I can remember we have somebody in office that represents us, and Saccone, he's going to go with that," said
"He stands for more of what I consider my values," said her husband, a 72-year-old retired cost accountant for a local manufacturing company.
Whoever wins Tuesday won't get a break.
Saccone is already circulating petitions to run again in November, saying he will campaign in the same district, win or lose.
Lamb said he, too, will run in November -- but he wouldn't commit to a specific district. He said that he is focused on Tuesday's election and that a decision on his next campaign will wait until he sees if the new congressional map drawn by the state
Many
Still, it would mean taking on an incumbent -- and another uphill run.
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