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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPA-18: Conor Lamb is Democrats' pick to replace Tim Murphy
Over 500 Democratic committeepeople gathered in Washington, Pa., on Sunday to pick former federal prosecutor Conor Lamb, who has never run for office before, to be their champion in a special election for the 18th Congressional District to replace Tim Murphy.
"There's a long road ahead," Mr. Lamb told the audience gathered inside the Washington High School gym after he earned a majority of votes on the second ballot. "There will be no doubt at the end of these next few months who represents the families of this district."
The state party's executive committee must ratify the committee's pick this week. But barring extraordinary circumstances, Mr. Lamb will face state Rep. Rick Saccone, who Republican leaders picked as their champion last weekend, in a March 16 special election.
In a speech before the vote, Mr. Lamb said his mission would be to confront Republicans on what he called a public hypocrisy fully equal to the private hypocrisy of Tim Murphy, who resigned in October amid allegations he was having an extramarital affair.
Mr. Lamb, 33, of Mt. Lebanon was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Pittsburgh office until he stepped down just after Mr. Murphy stepped down. He is a Marine Corps veteran and prosecutor whose cases included the successful prosecution of a Naval Academy instructor who lied under oath about sexual misconduct involving female servicepeople.
Mr. Lamb is from a notable public family: His uncle Michael Lamb is Pittsburgh's city controller, and his grandfather Thomas Lamb was the Democratic leader in the state Senate during the 1970s, later becoming Gov. Robert P. Casey's top legislative aide. Asked whether his name helped his prospects, Mr. Lamb told reporters, "Most people that I talked to wanted to know who I was."
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-local/2017/11/19/Conor-Lamb-Democrats-pick-replace-Tim-Murphy-18th-Congressional-district/stories/201711190199
brooklynite
(93,840 posts)...in a wave election, this might be flippable, but special elections have low turnout. Unless "skeletons" appear in Guy Reschenthaler's background, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
RandySF
(57,598 posts)if Dems in the district are energized.
DeminPennswoods
(15,246 posts)nt