Conor Lamb

2022 - 5 - 17

'One of the worst campaigns': Why Conor Lamb's Senate campaign ... (McClatchy Washington Bureau)

Fetterman now moves to the general election for one of the marquee Senate races of the 2022 cycle.

And two … they’ve never took the fight to Fetterman,” Mikus said of Lamb’s campaign. “Those early attacks from the super PAC, it just turned so many people off,” said Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia attorney who has worked with Fetterman in the past but was unaffiliated in this contest. “Pennsylvania is just a microcosm of what’s happening nationally. Lamb’s campaign chose to go a different route,” said Tharp. Still, many Democrats don’t think Tuesday’s result is necessarily a death knell for Lamb’s political career. The entity was probably most remembered for an attack that went sideways. But Fetterman, who jumped into the race six months ahead of Lamb and is now running his third statewide campaign, had more familiarity with voters across the commonwealth. “Hubris is the right word. They completely blew an opportunity…Conor should be the nominee and it’s the campaign’s fault.” “[Fetterman’s] elected statewide. The Pittsburgh-based Lamb had to play catch-up in a primary in which half of the votes would come out of the Philadelphia region. “Strategically it’s been mind-boggling to watch this.

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Vanity Fair"

John Fetterman Wins Pennsylvania Democratic Primary by ... (Vanity Fair)

John Fetterman, lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and Democratic senate candidate, center, speaks during a campaign event in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S., on ...

I think it has more to do with people who define progressive by the results you achieve and people who define progressive by what you say on Twitter, regardless of the results you achieve. “I don’t think it’s as simple as people in the media have a tendency to turn it into moderate versus progressive…. They think that he is the antidote to Trump,” he told me. “I think we’re gonna be victorious because I believe deep down that the Democratic Party still gets that at a base level, which is why we chose Joe Biden as the nominee in 2020 and why we’re gonna succeed in 2022,” Lamb said. His pitch: I won’t be another Manchin in the Senate. Fetterman’s campaign has described him as a “Democrat with a backbone”—perhaps a nod to Republicans’ well-worn dismissal of Joe Biden as spineless. Notably, Lamb initially buddied up to Joe Manchin—a “moderate” if there ever was one—before seemingly distancing himself after the West Virginia senator scuttled a series of critical Democratic priorities.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman wins Democratic Senate ... (NPR)

Pennsylvania has an open Senate seat for the first time in 12 years. Fetterman's Republican opponent was not yet decided. The GOP primary was close going ...

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With Biden on sidelines, Conor Lamb faced long odds in Pa. Senate ... (NBC News)

Image: Democratic Senate candidate, Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) talks. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., a Senate candidate, talks to the media Tuesday ...

Biden political advisers say that regardless of whatever fondness they had for Lamb, they couldn’t see a path to victory. While Fetterman ended up joining Biden that day, his campaign has otherwise focused on Democrats’ struggles to implement Biden’s broader agenda. When Lamb won by just 755 votes, Biden praised his campaign as offering a template for other Democrats preparing for tough races. Lamb never expected Biden to take sides, nor did he ask him to do so, his campaign said. Lamb’s congressional campaign at the time also happened to be advised by Mike Donilon, who has long been one of Biden’s most trusted advisers. Lamb announced his candidacy months after Fetterman launched his campaign, and from the get-go Lamb struggled to raise the money he needed to expand support beyond his Western Pennsylvania district to compete with Fetterman, a well-known populist Democrat nearing the end of eight years in statewide office.

John Fetterman Shears Conor Lamb, Wins Pennsylvania ... (Daily Beast)

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman won Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night, defeating Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta ending a ...

Republicans are equally invested—with Pennsylvania being considered one of their best chances at taking back the Senate majority. He further rose to national prominence during his unsuccessful 2016 bid for Senate and successful lieutenant governor run in 2018, alongside now Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D). His platform prioritizes progressive policies like a $15 minimum wage, marijuana legalization, abolishing the filibuster and enacting “universal health care.” He won despite a sudden health scare this past weekend.

See the Pa. Democratic Senate primary results (The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, and Pa. state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta are vying for the seat.

The below graphic shows the most recent results reported. Republicans Mehmet Oz, Kathy Barnette, and David McCormick are considered the front-runners in the seven-person GOP primary. McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO, and Oz, the celebrity surgeon known as “Dr. Oz,” have sunk in millions of their own money into the campaign.

Democrats running for Pennsylvania's open US Senate seat vote in ... (WTAE Pittsburgh)

Both Congressman Conor Lamb and Pennsylvania's Second Lady Gisele Fetterman explain why it's critical for a Democrat to win the seat.

Shaffer, Deluzio to face off for Conor Lamb's seat (WTAE Pittsburgh)

We now know which two candidates are on the ballot to replace Conor Lamb in Congress. Jeremy Shaffer and Chris Deluzio have come out on top to secure the ...

Deluzio, Shaffer to face off in November for Lamb's former U.S. ... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

WASHINGTON — Democratic nominee Chris Deluzio, a voting rights lawyer, and former Ross commissioner Jeremy Shaffer, for the GOP side, will face off in ...

“People want someone who will work across party lines to tackle inflation, reduce health care costs, and attract good-paying jobs to the region,” Mr. Pastore said. Mr. Shaffer’s name is not new to party politics: In 2018, he beat incumbent Randy Vulakovich in the state Senate primary before losing the general election to Democrat Lindsey Williams. Mr. Deluzio touts his role in the successful unionization effort of Pitt’s faculty. “I’m thankful for all of our volunteers, supporters and voters throughout the district. “I look forward to uniting behind Jeremy — and other great Republican candidates of Pennsylvania — to beat the Democrats in November,” Mr. Killmeyer, of Mt. Lebanon, wrote. Ms. Coder thanked her supporters and released a statement reading, “We upheld our values, refused to play dirty, and gave a voice to those who are tired of the political divisiveness in our country.” Both also received backing from established party stalwarts and recognizable names. Mr. Meloy, a former aide to retiring U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, had garnered the support of the congressman, as well as progressive national political action committees and the local Young Democrats of Allegheny County. Mr. Shaffer, a software engineer who recently sold his infrastructure safety company, approached the race with the support of current U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, former GOP Congressman Keith Rothfus, former Allegheny County Republican Committee chair Jim Roddey and a host of Republican committee chairs from Allegheny County suburbs. I’m looking forward to running in November and earning the support of Democrats, Republicans and Independents as someone who will work hard to solve the problems for our region and our country,” said Mr. Shaffer, 45, of the North Hills. “I’m a problem solver at heart and I’ll work across party lines to get things done.” An Iraq War veteran and, most recently, the policy director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security, Mr. Deluzio received the backing of both Democratic committees in Allegheny and Beaver counties, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, the National Organization for Women PAC, and a slew of local labor unions and political action committees with interests in putting military veterans in office. The two candidates were the top fundraisers in their respective primaries, with Mr. Shaffer raising more than $729,000, and Mr. Deluzio with more than half a million.

Chris Deluzio will face Jeremy Shaffer to replace Conor Lamb in the ... (90.5 WESA)

Political prognosticators consider the17th District to be a "toss-up" this fall, and the outcome of this race could help determine how high an expected ...

Killmeyer challenged Shaffer from the right on issues that included trade and abortion. He has been active in LGBT political organizing, both with the Democratic committee and with outside advocacy groups. Wade, and a party ready to ship your jobs overseas to make a penny more in profit for their corporate bosses," he added. He's previously worked on voter security and integrity issues at the Brennan Center for Justice — experience he said would be relevant amid a ferocious debate about voting rights in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Political prognosticators consider it to be a "toss-up" this fall, and the outcome of this race could help determine how high an expected Republican tide is going to rise this election year. Meloy is a former staffer for Congressman Mike Doyle, who backed his campaign.

Conor Lamb

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