Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District special election, 2018
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| March 13, 2018 |
| N/A |
Pending |
Tim Murphy  |
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Cook Political Report: Toss-up[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean R[2] Inside Elections: Toss-up[3] |
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A special election is being held for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District on March 13, 2018. The election will fill the vacancy created by the departure of incumbent Tim Murphy (R). Murphy announced his resignation in October 2017, following reports that he encouraged a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair to have an abortion.[5] Republican candidate Rick Saccone, Democratic candidate Conor Lamb, and Libertarian candidate Drew Miller are competing for the seat.
President Donald Trump (R) won the 18th District by close to 20 points in 2016, but a March poll showed Lamb leading Saccone 48-45 in the general election.[6][7] Lamb had also outraised Saccone by more than double as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2017, and he reported an additional $3.2 million in fundraising from the beginning of the year through February 21.[8][9]
Outside groups have countered Saccone's fundraising deficit with spending on his behalf. According to a tally by Jacob Pramuk and John W. Schoen of CNBC, groups such as the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Republican National Committee had spent more than $4.75 million opposing Lamb and $2.23 million backing Saccone by late February. Lamb, by contrast, had seen $244,437 in satellite spending supporting his campaign and $384,382 opposing Saccone's. Those totals include spending by both parties' House campaign arms. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had invested $312,500 in Lamb as of late February and the National Republican Congressional Committee had spent $2.26 million on Saccone.[10]
The race has received attention from national figures on both sides of the aisle. President Donald Trump (R) and Vice President Mike Pence (R) have both visited the state, with Trump previewing the trip with a tweet voicing support for Saccone and his re-election campaign following it with an official endorsement.[11][12][13][14] U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) traveled to Pennsylvania in February to support Lamb, and former Vice President Joe Biden (D) is scheduled for two campaign stops on March 6.[15][16]
As of March 1, election forecasters considered the parties relatively evenly matched in the race. Two media outlets rated the election as a Toss-up and another rated it Leans Republican.[17]
Ballotpedia is compiling the following resources to help voters better understand this election. If you notice missing information, please email us.
- Overviews of each of the top candidates, including policy positions and campaign themes;
- Major polls, endorsements, campaign ads, campaign finance information, and satellite spending updates;
- A timeline of major events that occur over the course of the election.
| Pennsylvania voter? What you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Candidate Filing Deadline | N/A |
| Registration Deadline | February 12, 2018 |
| Absentee Application Deadline | March 6, 2018 |
| Special Election | March 13, 2018 |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
For more on related elections, please see:
- Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District election, 2018
- Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District election (May 15, 2018 Democratic primary)
- Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District election (May 15, 2018 Republican primary)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party primaries in Pennsylvania, 2018
- Republican Party primaries in Pennsylvania, 2018
Election updates
- March 10, 2018: President Donald Trump (R) is tenatively scheduled to campaign in Pennsylvania for Republican candidate Rick Saccone.[18]
- March 6, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) is scheduled to make two campaign stops for Democratic candidate Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania.[16]
- March 3, 2018: The League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh hosts a debate between Lamb and Saccone.[19]
- February 27, 2017: The Hill reports that the Patriot Majority PAC has invested $250,000 in digital and television airtime for Lamb.[20]
- February 22, 2018: Politico reports that the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action has made a $1 million ad buy on Saccone's behalf.[21]
- February 22, 2018: Bridget Bowman of Roll Call reports that End Citizens United has purchased $250,000 in air time for an ad supporting Lamb.[22]
- February 22, 2018: The campaign ad buying group Medium Buying reports that the Lamb campaign has purchased close to $525,000 in airtime for three campaign ads.[23]
- February 21, 2018: Trump is scheduled to return to Pennsylvania to campaign for Saccone. The trip is postponed due to the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.[24][25][18]
- February 14, 2018: The National Republican Congressional Committee launches a coordinated ad campaign with Saccone.[26]
- February 5, 2018: Politico reports that the Republican National Committee will spend approximately $1 million to support Saccone.[27]
- February 2, 2018: Vice President Mike Pence (R) attends a fundraiser for Saccone in Pennsylvania.[12]
- February 1, 2018: U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) visits Pennsylvania to support Lamb.[15]
- January 27, 2018: Politico reports that the House campaign arms of both major parties, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, have made ad buys on behalf of their candidates.[28]
- January 23, 2018: Trump's re-election committee, Donald J. Trump for President Inc., endorses Saccone.[14]
- January 18, 2018: Trump tweets his support for Saccone in advance of a visit to Pennsylvania later in the day.[13]
Election guide
Click on the tiles below for comprehensive coverage of the candidates, policy positions, fundraising, polling, and other elements of this race.
See also
- Special elections to the 115th United States Congress (2017-2018)
- Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District
- Tim Murphy (Pennsylvania)
Footnotes
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "2018 House Race Ratings," accessed January 12, 2018
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2018 House," accessed January 12, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections, "House Ratings," accessed January 12, 2018
- ↑ RealClearPolitics, "Redrawn Pa. maps add uncertainty to special election," February 22, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "Conservative Pennsylvania congressman resigns amid abortion scandal," October 5, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for the 2016 and 2012 elections," November 19, 2012
- ↑ PR Newswire, "Emerson College ePoll: Statistical dead heat in PA 18th congressional special election," March 5, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidates for House of Representatives," accessed February 2, 2018
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Pennsylvania Democrat in congressional special election raises $3.2 million," February 27, 2018
- ↑ CNBC, "Special House election is a dead heat in a Pennsylvania district Trump won by 20 points," February 27, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Trump races to head off another special election debacle," January 11, 2018
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Hill, "Pence to appear at fundraiser for Pennsylvania GOP candidate," January 26, 2018
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Twitter, "Donald J. Trump on January 18, 2018," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Pittsburgh Patch, "Trump endorses Saccone in 18th Congressional District race," January 23, 2018
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Joe Kennedy campaigns quietly for Conor Lamb," February 2, 2018
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 The Times, "Joe Biden to campaign with Conor Lamb next week, including RMU rally," March 1, 2018
- ↑ Ratings are based on projections found in Governing, Larry Sabato, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, Decision Desk HQ, and The Cook Political Report. These ratings are updated periodically throughout the election season.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ The Hill, "Super PAC launches $250K ad buy to boost Dem in heated Pa. race," February 27, 2018
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Twitter, "Medium Buying on February 22, 2018," accessed February 27, 2018
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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