Republicans may have just lost a district that went for President Donald Trump by 20 points in 2016 and has been reliably red for nearly two decades, but GOP lawmakers on Wednesday downplayed the blow.
Democrat Conor Lamb is expected to come away with a victory in a western Pennsylvania Republican stronghold after a neck-and-neck special election on Tuesday, holding a tiny but steady lead as the final votes were counted. Lamb ran as a moderate, rarely criticizing Trump, taking a public stance against Nancy Pelosi’s continued role in Democratic leadership, and offering support for gun rights. His tactics could be put to use by a number of Democrats running in tight rural races come November.
For their part, some Republicans suggested Lamb’s conservative campaign meant voters were still on their side.
“The candidate that’s going to win this race is a candidate that ran as a pro-life, pro-gun, anti-Nancy Pelosi conservative,” said House speaker Paul Ryan during a press conference Wednesday morning. “That’s the candidate that’s going to win this race.”
Lamb “ran as a Republican, he ran on the Trump agenda,” added Pennsylvania Republican Mike Kelly to the Washington Post’s Erica Werner.
But Lamb campaigned aggressively against the Republican-passed tax cuts, the primary legislative accomplishment of the Trump agenda. He is ardently pro-union, and he isn’t pro-life — “I don’t use the term ‘pro-life’ to describe what I personally believe,” he told THE WEEKLY STANDARD, adding that he wouldn’t vote for a 20-week abortion ban.
During a House GOP conference meeting beforehand, Ryan told his members that the election was a wake-up call, according to a person in the room. He said candidates need to define themselves and run on their terms. He also emphasized the importance of not losing the fundraising battle; Lamb outraised Republican candidate Rick Saccone 5-1.
Ryan told reporters that he didn’t expect Lamb’s playbook to be easily replicable for many upcoming midterm contests, citing crowded Democratic primaries. “I just don’t think this is something you’re going to see a repeat of,” he said.
He waved off a question about Lamb’s opposition to the tax cuts. “Is there anything else you guys want to talk about?”
