Why Pennsylvania's Special Election Could Swing Blue
The historically Republican District 18 of Pennsylvania could swing blue in Tuesday’s special election, according to Kyle Kondik, Managing Editor at political website Sabato’s Crystal Ball.
Democratic candidate Conor Lamb is “a good fit culturally for the district,” he told Cheddar, citing Lamb’s military background and moderate views on issues like abortion and guns.
Meanwhile, Republican candidate Rick Saccone “is a standard economic conservative,” said Kondik, which doesn’t necessarily sit well with the largely blue-collar residents of the district.
The race in the 18th District is shaping up as a potential bellwether for the midterm elections in November. President Trump carried the district by 20 points in 2016, and a Democratic win there would be a huge blow to him and to the GOP.
As a sign of how critical the party and the White House view the race, Trump will travel to the district on Saturday for a Saccone campaign rally. Friday afternoon, the president tweeted: Look forward to being in Pennsylvania tomorrow in support of Rick @Saccone4PA18. Big crowd expected in Moon Township. Vote Rick and see you there! #MAGA
Several weeks ago, Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter campaigned with Saccone, and on Monday, Donald Trump Jr. will campaign with the Republican.
To regain control of the house, Democrats need to win 24 seats now held by the GOP. And many political experts believe the party has a good chance, particularly given the historic tendency of the party that controls the White House to lose seats in Congress during the midterms.
“Generally, the party that holds the White House pays a penalty down the ballot, particularly in special elections like we’re seeing in Pennsylvania on Tuesday,” Kondik said.
“Turnout is always significantly lower than a presidential election,” explained Kondik. “The out-party is sometimes more motivated to show up to vote.” On top of that, President Trump’s overall approval rating is hovering at a meager 40 percent.
Kondik also pointed out that the district, largely composed of the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh, has a demographic makeup that veers from Trump’s base.
Voters generally have higher-than-average incomes and higher-than-average educational attainment. “It’s a Trump district, but it’s also full of voters who are sort of skeptical of Trump even though they voted for him.”
The special election was called after Rep. Patrick Murphy resigned amid reports that he had encouraged his lover to have an abortion despite his strong anti-abortion stance.
“It’s a true toss up, which is kind of crazy in and of itself,” said Kondik.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/pennsylvanias-special-election-gives-pollsters-a-sneak-peak-into-the-2018-midterms).
A new report by the Foreign Correspondents Club of China warns that press freedom in the most populous country in the world is declining at an alarming speed. Cheddar News speaks with Steven Butler, Asia Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, about the hardships journalists face in China.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C. 1st District) joined Cheddar to discuss her cannabis legalization bill, the States Reform Act, and the prospects for gaining bipartisan support for a bill that has garnered the endorsement of e-commerce giant Amazon. This legislation is supported by businesses large and small, Amazon obviously being the most recent and largest business to support it," Mace said. "They don't want to sell pot. But what it does do is it affects their working employment pool." She stated that 10 percent of eligible new hires for Amazon are affected by restrictive marijuana laws. The representative also explained that the bill leaves equity provisions up to the states rather than mandating them on a federal level.
After a number of tragic subway incidents, the MTA is facing increased pressure to install subway platform screens to help prevent injury or death. However, according to an earlier report from the MTA, installing these prevented measures isn't feasible. New York City Council Member Keith Powers, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Across the country, states are working to redraw their congressional lines in what is often known as gerrymandering. These news lines are expected to determine the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans within the next decade. Senior Counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program, Michael Li, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
The state of California is officially planning to close its death row in the next two years. That state's governor Democrat Gavin Newsom says the plan is now to move all condemned inmates to other prisons and turn it into, as he calls it, a positive healing environment. Former U. S. Assistant Attorney and Legal Analyst, David Katz, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Anthony Saccaro, Founder and President of Providence Financial, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he elaborates on why he is excited that the market is beginning to rebound and believes February has the potential to be a good month after a turbulent January.
Cryptocurrency is expected to become a part of our daily lives — but what sort of environmental impact does it have? As the U.S. becomes the crypto mining capital of the world, climate advocates are worried about mining companies reopening old coal plants, using massive amounts of energy, wasteful hardware, and more. Congressional Democrats led by Senator Elizabeth Warren are demanding answers from mining firms about their electricity use and waste levels. John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Computing, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the congressional letters, how crypto mining can become a green industry, and more.
The Supreme Court will reconsider race-based affirmative action in college admissions. The court will examine admissions policies at Harvard University and The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, which count the race of applicants as a factor in admissions. The court has upheld affirmative action policies in the past, saying it helps to create more diverse student bodies. However, the conservative Supreme Court could be skeptical and even possibly hostile to such policies. Nick Anderson, Higher Education Writer, Washington Post joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
