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Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District special election, 2018/Candidates
2018 →
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March 13, 2018 |
N/A |
Pending |
Tim Murphy  |
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Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic[2] Inside Elections: Solid Democratic[3] |
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Democrat Conor Lamb won the special election for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District against Republican Rick Saccone on March 13, 2018, by less than half a point.[4] The race was too close to call immediately following the election, and Saccone conceded to Lamb on March 21.[5]
The special election was held to 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.[6] Lamb, Saccone, and Libertarian candidate Drew Miller competed for the seat.
For an overview of the race, click here.
Candidates
General election candidates
Conor Lamb (D)
Conor Lamb's experience includes work as an assistant U.S. attorney and service in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves.[7]
In a speech at the Democratic nomination convention, Lamb said, "There's a long road ahead. There will be no doubt at the end of these next few months who represents the families of this district." He described his goal as addressing "a public hypocrisy [of the Republian Party] equal to the private hypocrisy of Tim Murphy."[8] Lamb's campaign website identified his policy priorities as the heroin epidemic, jobs and infrastructure, affordable health care, Medicare and Social Security, student debt, unions, and modern energy development.[9]
Lamb received endorsements from U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), Daily Kos, End Citizens United, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, and VoteVets PAC.[10][11][12][13][14][15]
Rick Saccone (R)
Rick Saccone's experience includes work as a political science professor at St. Vincent College and service as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and a counterintelligence officer for the U.S. Air Force.[16]
Saccone told reporters at the Republican convention that, "People expect us to fight for [Trump's agenda] and defend it, and I will."[17] "I ran on that agenda in 2010," he said at the convention. "It's the same agenda - it's the people's agenda. The president just nationalized it."[18] Pittsburgh NPR station WESA reported that Saccone's policy priorities included opposition to abortion, cuts to government regulation, spending, and taxes, Obamacare repeal and replacement, veterans and the military, and firearms policy.[18]
Saccone received endorsements from President Donald Trump (R), Vice President Mike Pence (R), former ambassador to the UN John Bolton, The American Conservative Union, Associated Builders and Contractors, CatholicVote.org, the Citizens United Political Victory Fund, Club for Growth PAC, Firearms Owners Against Crime, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91, the House Freedom Fund, Italian American War Veterans, LifePAC, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Rifle Association, National Right to Life, The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.[19][10][20][21][22][23][24]
Drew Miller (Libertarian)
Miller's professional experience includes work as an energy attorney, a realtor, and the legal counsel to the majority whip of the Pennsylvania State Senate.[25]
"The more the Republican and Democratic politicians work against each other, the weaker our nation becomes," Miller said in the Libertarian Party press release announcing his nomination. "In the end, respect and compromise will unite us, bringing new opportunity and advancement to all citizens. As an independent, I will focus on diligently working for you to ensure that every citizen has a voice and a seat at the table."[26] Miller's campaign Facebook page listed his policy priorities as limited government, fiscal responsibility, and more individual freedom.[27]
As of January 29, 2018, Ballotpedia was unable to locate endorsements for Miller. To notify us of endorsements for this candidate, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Party convention candidates
The Democratic and Republican Parties used conventions rather than primaries to select their nominees for the special election on March 13, 2018. State Rep. and former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence officer Rick Saccone claimed the Republican nomination at the party's November 11 convention.[17] Former federal prosecutor and Marine Corps veteran Conor Lamb won the Democratic Party nomination on November 19, 2017.[8] The Libertarian Party announced attorney Drew Miller as its nominee on January 8, 2018.[26]
Click "show" on the box below for a full list of the candidates who expressed interest in the Democratic or Republican nomination and the outcomes of their candidacies.
| Party convention candidates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic candidate[8] | Outcome of candidacy | Republican candidate[17] | Outcome of candidacy |
| Conor Lamb | Selected as party's nominee | Rick Saccone | Selected as party's nominee |
| Gina Cerilli | Defeated on second ballot | Guy Reschenthaler | Defeated on second ballot |
| Pam Iovino | Defeated on second ballot | Kim Ward | Eliminated on first ballot |
| Rueben Brock | Eliminated on first ballot | Jason Ortitay | Withdrew prior to balloting |
| Mike Crossey | Eliminated on first ballot | George Karpacs | Withdrew prior to balloting |
| Keith Seewald | Eliminated on first ballot | ||
| Bob Solomon | Eliminated on first ballot | ||
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Pennsylvania heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
- Republicans held 12 of 17 U.S. House seats in Pennsylvania.
State executives
- As of May 2018, Democrats held five of 11 state executive positions, while six were held by nonpartisan officials.
- The governor of Pennsylvania was Democrat Tom Wolf.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. They had a 120-79 majority in the state House and a 33-16 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Pennsylvania was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Tom Wolf (D) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.
2018 elections
- See also: Pennsylvania elections, 2018
Pennsylvania held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- One U.S. Senate seat
- 18 U.S. House seats
- Governor and lieutenant governor
- 25 of 50 state Senate seats
- 203 state House seats
Demographics
| Demographic data for Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 12,791,904 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 44,743 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 81.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 11% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.1% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 6.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.6% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $53,599 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 15.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Pennsylvania. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2017, Pennsylvania had a population of approximately 12,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Philadelphia (pop. est. 1.6 million), Pittsburgh (pop. est. 300,000), and Allentown (pop. est. 120,000).[28][29]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Pennsylvania every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Donald Trump |
48.6% | Hillary Clinton |
47.9% | 0.7% |
| 2012 | Barack Obama |
52.1% | Mitt Romney |
46.7% | 5.4% |
| 2008 | Barack Obama |
54.7% | John McCain |
44.3% | 10.4% |
| 2004 | John Kerry |
51.0% | George Bush |
48.5% | 2.5% |
| 2000 | Al Gore |
50.6% | George Bush |
46.4% | 4.2% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Patrick Toomey |
48.8% | Katie McGinty |
47.3% | 1.5% |
| 2012 | Bob Casey |
53.7% | Tom Smith |
44.6% | 9.1% |
| 2010 | Patrick Toomey |
51.0% | Joe Sestak |
49.0% | 2.0% |
| 2006 | Bob Casey |
58.7% | Rick Santorum |
41.3% | 17.4% |
| 2004 | Arlen Specter |
52.6% | Joseph Hoeffel |
42.0% | 10.6% |
| 2000 | Rick Santorum |
52.4% | Ron Klink |
45.5% | 6.9% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Pennsylvania.
| Election results (Governor), Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Tom Wolf |
54.9% | Thomas Corbett |
45.1% | 9.8% |
| 2010 | Thomas Corbett |
54.5% | Dan Onorato |
45.5% | 9.0% |
| 2006 | Ed Rendell |
60.4% | Lynn Swann |
39.6% | 20.8% |
| 2002 | Ed Rendell |
53.4% | Mike Fisher |
44.3% | 9.1% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Pennsylvania 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 13 |
72.2% | 5 |
27.8% | R+8 |
| 2014 | 13 |
72.2% | 5 |
27.8% | R+8 |
| 2012 | 13 |
72.2% | 5 |
27.8% | R+8 |
| 2010 | 12 |
63.2% | 7 |
36.8% | R+5 |
| 2008 | 7 |
36.8% | 12 |
63.2% | D+5 |
| 2006 | 8 |
42.1% | 11 |
57.9% | D+3 |
| 2004 | 12 |
63.2% | 7 |
36.8% | R+5 |
| 2002 | 12 |
63.2% | 7 |
36.8% | R+5 |
| 2000 | 11 |
52.4% | 10 |
47.6% | R+1 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta • Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | _ |
See also
- Special elections to the 115th United States Congress (2017-2018)
- Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District special election, 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
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, "Official Returns," accessed May 24, 2018
- ↑ The Hill, "Saccone concedes Pennsylvania House special election to Lamb," March 21, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "Conservative Pennsylvania congressman resigns amid abortion scandal," October 5, 2017
- ↑ Conor Lamb for Congress, "Meet Conor," accessed January 15, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs nameddemconvention - ↑ Conor Lamb for Congress, "My priorities," accessed January 15, 2018
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 TRIBLive, "Vice President Pence stumps for Rick Saccone in western Pennsylvania," February 2, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "Daily Kos Elections on January 18, 2018," accessed January 18, 2018
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Lamb gets first endorsement from big-ticket national group," January 17, 2018
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Lamb, Saccone both hope for blue-collar support in special congressional election," December 22, 2017
- ↑ VoteVets.org, "Candidates," accessed January 5, 2018
- ↑ Daily Kos, "PA-18: Gov. Tom Wolf (D) helps Conor Lamb (D) pull off another special election upset victory," December 20, 2017
- ↑ Rick Saccone - US Congress, "About," accessed January 15, 2018
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Republicans pick state Rep. Rick Saccone as nominee for March 13 special election," November 11, 2017
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 WESA, "GOP nominates state Rep. Rick Saccone to replace former Congressman Tim Murphy," November 11, 2017
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtrumptweet - ↑ Rick Saccone - US Congress, "Endorsements," accessed January 5, 2018
- ↑ Observer-Reporter, "Trump, Pence throw weight behind Saccone in 18th District race," January 24, 2018
- ↑ Trib Live, "Former UN Ambassador Bolton endorses Saccone for Congress," January 24, 2018
- ↑ House Freedom Fund, "Endorsements," accessed March 1, 2018
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Rick Saccone for Congress: The state rep is ready to move on to U.S. House," March 11, 2018
- ↑ Drew Miller for Congress, "About Drew Gray Miller," accessed January 15, 2018
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, "Libertarian Party nominates candidate for 18th Congressional District special election," January 8, 2018
- ↑ Facebook, "Drew Gray Miller for Congress," accessed January 15, 2018
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts - Pennsylvania," accessed January 3, 2018
- ↑ Pennsylvania Demographics, "Pennsylvania Cities by Population," accessed January 3, 2018
