Democrats claim tight victory in Pennsylvania
Result is an ‘ominous sign’ for Republicans in lead up to November midterms
Democratic candidate Conor Lamb has claimed an extremely narrow victory in Pennsylvania’s 18th District special election held yesterday, in a district Donald Trump won by 20 points in the 2016 presidential election.
With 99.9% of the vote counted at midnight local time, Lamb held a very slim lead over GOP rival Rick Saccone, 49.9% to 49.5% – a difference of just 579 votes with more than 225,000 ballots cast.
“Tonight we celebrate regaining our voice and our vote in the great business of governing this country we love,” Lamb told supporters.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Officials are working to finalise the counting of 1,398 outstanding absentee ballots, which commentators say make it “mathematically possible but highly unlikely” for Saccone to make up the difference.
Saccone’s campaign and the National Republican Committee have announced that they have no intention of conceding for now.
Regardless of who is declared the winner, the result “is expected to raise Democratic hopes of taking back the House in November's midterm elections”, Fox News says.
CNN’s Eric Bradner said Republicans should be “very, very worried”, and that the result is an “ominous sign for the midterms.”
The surge in popularity for the Democrats in the election came despite Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner making several trips to the state to campaign for Saccone.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 24, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - taped bananas, flying monkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Spanish cop, 20 million euros and 13 tonnes of cocaine
In the Spotlight Óscar Sánchez Gil, Chief Inspector of Spain's Economic and Tax Crimes Unit, has been arrested for drug trafficking
By The Week UK Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the rise and fall of Matt Gaetz
Cartoons Artists take on age brackets, backbiting, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
What might happen if Trump eliminates the Department Of Education?
Today's Big Question The president-elect says the federal education agency is on the chopping block
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'The double standards don't trouble the critics'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Brendan Carr, Trump's FCC pick, takes aim at Big Tech
In the Spotlight The next FCC commissioner wants to end content moderation practices on social media sites
By David Faris Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The political latitude of Musk's cost-cutting task force
Talking Points A $2 trillion goal. And big obstacles in the way.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published