Surprise Win Expected For Democrat Conor Lamb in PA Special Election
"It took a little longer than we thought, but we did it."
This was the early Wednesday morning celebratory announcement from Conor Lamb, following Tuesday's special election for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional district. Lamb, the newly elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's Pittsburgh area 18th Congressional District, is Democrat. When the polls closed and 99% of ballots counted, Lamb held a a fraction of a percentage lead over Republican rival Rick Saccone.
Final Results (pre absentee ballot counting):
Conor Lamb - Democrat: 113,111
Rick Saccone - Republican: 112,532
Drew Miller - Libertarian: 1,3720.6
227,015 votes, 100% reporting (593 of 593 precincts)
In an ordinary election in Pennsylvania, Lamb's affiliation with the Democratic Party would be unremarkable. However, the surprise victory in Tuesday's special election remains newsworthy because the current White House occupant is not only a Republican, but a Republican that won the Pennsylvania 18th in the 2016 presidential election by 20 percentage points. Going forward, Pennsylvania's 18th has high potential for accurate midterm forecasting.
Requiring a special election in Pennsylvania's 18th was the resignation of Republican Rep. Tim Murphy. Murphy is most noted for his staunch anti-abortion rhetoric. When reports surfaced of Murphy pressuring the woman he had an affair with to have an abortion, Murphy was compelled to resign in disgrace.
Lamb's victory is an indication that the Republican Party is in more trouble than previously believed. Historically, the party of the incumbent president suffers in the first midterms following the general election. But, if past is to serve as prologue for November 2018, all signs point towards an epic wave of Democratic victories that make 2010's 'shallacking' look mild in comparison. Each special election is unique in its own right, but the cumulative results of special elections held since the 2016 presidential election can no longer be spun by Republicans or viewed as merely anomalous.
The special elections in Alabama, New Hampshire, Montana, Virginia, Idaho, and Pennsylvania are all proving to be emblematic of the country – specifically in deep red districts – having buyers remorse for electing an inept, unqualified, reality television disaster.
*Note: There are no results currently available for Westmoreland County. With Westmoreland having a rich concentration of Republican registered voters, it is not possible to forecast Lamb as the decisive winner at this time. Please stay tuned and watch this space for updates.
