GOP Super PAC Doling Out Millions To Support Vulnerable Seats

Kevin McCarthy
2018 is gonna be a fight - at least the GOP is starting the campaign season early.

A Super PAC, from pro-House is now trying to make sure that it maintains its seat that was very recently cleared by the former Representative Tim Murphy in Pennsylvania’s 18th District.

A huge amount of approximately $1.5 million is being spent on a television campaign by the Congressional Leadership’s fund to show their support for the Republican candidate, Rick Saccone for the position. Saccone is to go face to face with Conor Lamb – an attorney who has been nominated by the Democrats as their candidate. Both the candidates face off each other in a very special election that would be taking place on March 13th.

Saccone was previously elected in the Pennsylvania State Senate, in the year 2010. In his tenure back then, he went in to sponsor a bill that required the public schools to show phrases and slogans like ‘In God We Trust’ on their buildings all over the state. Furthermore, he described himself formerly as ‘Trump before Trump was Trump.’

These Special elections were triggered right after Murphey had resigned in October last year after the reports of an extramarital affair surfaced and circulated around him. Murphy went on to publicly accept the affair, but the allegations and accusations kept coming in saying that the pro-life congressman had been asking the woman to carry out an abortion in a pregnancy scare during his extramarital affair.

Murphy went on to step down from his seat in a district where President Trump went on to have a strong victory with almost 20 percent majority to be in his favor, back in 2016. Donald Trump had been sure about the support Saccone would be receiving from the state, who had also previously won the Republican Nomination by defeating three other hopeful nominees.

As per the latest tweet by the President about the support, he went on to display for the candidate on Thursday, he said, “Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a special election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!”

Trump also went on to make an appearance in Pittsburgh later the same day, where he went on to claim that Saccone was ‘special.’ Vice President Pence too is scheduled to make an appearance with the candidate to show his support during an event to be held on February 2nd.

The Conservative activists’ groups like those of ‘Ending Spending’ and ’45 Committee’ are also pitching in monetarily in support of Saccone.

Lamb is also taking a much different approach to these special elections. He said that he is not supporting the House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi while the other national Democratic leaders too avoided commenting on these elections.

The Congressional Leadership Fund’s support came, as the Republicans go on to face a possible loss of majorities, both in the House as well as the Senate, in 2018. A loss in Pennsylvania’s 18th district, where President Trump was successful in 2016, and may not turn out to be good for candidates fighting on seats in other states.

Morgan is a freelance writer for a variety of publications covering popular culture, societal behavior and the political influences of each.