Pennsylvania Democrats flip offices for first time since 1799
Democrats are targeting three competitive House seats in Pennsylvania's Philadelphia suburbs next year, and Tuesday's local election results give them some very good reasons for optimism. The most eye-popping result was in Chester County, where Democrats unseated the GOP incumbents in the races for treasurer, controller, coroner, and clerk of courts. According to party officials, the last time Democrats won these offices was in 1799… Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans, that is.
Chester County is mostly located in the 6th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Ryan Costello (a former Chester County commissioner) won re-election against a weak Democratic challenger 57-43 as Clinton was winning his seat 48.2-47.6. Large portions of Chester are also located in the 7th District, a 49-47 Clinton seat held by Republican Rep. Pat Meehan, and the 16th District, where freshman Rep. Lloyd Smucker is more of a longshot target.
Local Democrats also had an unusually great night in Bucks County, which makes up the bulk of GOP freshman Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's 8th District. Democrats won the offices of county sheriff, prothonotary, recorder of deeds, and controller on Tuesday —it's been more than 30 years since Democrats won any countywide office in Bucks other than county commissioner. Fitzpatrick, the brother of outgoing Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, won an expensive open seat race 54-46 last year, running well ahead of Trump's 48.2-48.0 win.
Delaware County has been a reliable blue area in presidential races for years, but local Republicans have still done well down-ballot here. However, Democrats also scored a historic win there on Tuesday when they beat a Republican in a County Council election for the first time ever, though Team Red still maintains a three-to-two edge overall. Delaware is mostly located in Meehan's 7th District, with a portion in the safely blue 1st.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/9/1714253/-Pennsylvania-Democrats-flip-offices-for-first-time-since-1799-and-GOP-congressmen-could-be-next
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