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DCCC Targets Four Republican Seats in PA

DCCCThe Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced Monday it will target four Republican incumbents in Pennsylvania in 2018: Reps. Ryan Costello (R-Chester), Pat Meehan (R-Delaware), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks), and Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster).  

In 2016 the GOP candidate won PA-6 by 14 points, PA-7 by 19 points, PA-8 by 9 points and PA-16 by 11 points.

The DCCC says history is on its side.

“In modern history- since 1982- the president’s party has lost an average 28 seats in the first midterm election, even accounting for Republican gains in 2002 under President Bush,” DCCC Executive Director Dan Sena noted in a memo.  

The DCCC is looking to tie the entire slate of Republicans to the ongoing efforts to repeal the ACA, and President Trump’s agenda as a whole.

In 2016, according to Decision Desk HQ, Clinton won PA-6 by 0.6 percent and PA-7 by 4.3 percent. Trump won PA-8 by 0.2 percent and PA-16 by 7 percent.  

In his first month in office, Fitzpatrick has been a vocal critic of several of Trumps policies – making it harder for opponents to tie him to the President.

The National Republican Congressional Committee noted that all four districts were DCCC targets in 2016 the committee is on course for a repeat.
“Nancy Pelosi and the DCCC are doubling down on the same failed playbook that led to their election night shellacking across Pennsylvania. This memo is just the latest example of Democrats being completely disconnected from the needs of everyday Pennsylvanians,” said NRCC Spokesman Chris Pack.

27 Responses

  1. It’s enormous that you are getting ideas from this paragraph as well as from our dialogue
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  2. PA 8th needs a new representative of the district. Someone said he was egotistical and believed he got in without his last name. Duh? I guess the people that voted for him wish they could have a ‘do over’. He voted against his own Presidential candidate, and was public about it. Couldn’t he see that Hillary would have been worse?! Someone said he’s a work in progress, but I think he’s got bad judgment and as cagey as his bro. Dems will win probably take 2018.

  3. The DCCC can target all of the PA Congressional seats they want! Bottom line? In 8 years, everyone of their “targeted” seats was won by Republicans and for the foreseeable future, it will more than likely stay that way.

    As for Brian Fitzpatrick? He’s a work in Progress! We’re not happy with his anti-Donald Trump position, but perhaps in time, he’ll “see the light”. If he doesn’t then there’s always the May 2018 Primary!

  4. Congressional terms are 2 years. I lived in the 16th and was redistricted into the 7th. The redistricting made the 7th more solidly Republican. I think the 16th could be vulnerable however. The Berks and Chester County sections of the 16th consistently vote for the Democratic candidate. For now the Lancaster section is still the area that drives the winner, but the demographics continue to change so a future Dem winner is not an impossibility.

  5. Whistleblower-

    Since when does the HDCC do opposition research (or anything politically smart/useful)?

  6. We need a REAL voice in the 8th. Not some wishy washy coat tail rider whose political stance changes with the audience and wind direction. Then again I guess what would you’d expect from a overeducated no common sense California surfer boy? Nothing but a bunch of “Look at me I’m better than my brother” BS empty promise headlines. I bet the GOP is wishing they hadn’t backed this Benedict Arnold as a candidate. Independent my rear. He is about as egotistical of a “politician” as they come. Way to push your own personal agenda. Last time I checked you represented US. We won’t forget this when it comes time to elect a new representative.

  7. Does anyone know who’s doing Opposition Research for the HDCC and Wolf administration? What firm ?

  8. @ John Taylor. Trump won PA-8. The district also encompasses Indian Valley in Montco. PA-8 is a safe Republican seat. Murphy only won when NE Philly was included in district. No more bogus votes courtesy of Uncle Bob Brady. District will be even more GOP after 2020.

  9. To replace Costello in the 6th will require a real strong candidate who is identified early on. Parrish never had a chance. It is like giving the seat away.

  10. Patrick, could you possibly be more wrong about PA-08? Clinton won Buck’s County 0.6% and also won Montgomery County by 21%. Judging by Super Special Agent Fitzpatrick’s actions I’d be willing to bet his staff did the cursory research you were apparently incapable of doing. PA-08 is absolutely a swing district and Fitzpatrick should absolutely be primaried for being a limp warm-body drifting along the body politic.

  11. I hope Fitzpatrick gets a primary. Ryan Manion?? BTW…did this site not cover the story of how she was attacked by Anti-Trump paid protestors outside the Heroes Ball during the inauguration?? Fitzpatrick is obviously a weasel and doesn’t have the political capital his brother had in the district. Nobody knows him. Democrats keep kidding themselves that this is a swing district. Trump won the district, last 3 elections on the Congressional side all blow outs. Which makes Fitzpatrick’s voting record and behavior even more curious.

  12. the 16? that’s laughable! if the dems had any sense that they’d realize there was opposition to trump and trump voters weren’t necessarily voting down ballot. Toomey’s votes would be a better bellwether of where these districts truly are.

    the dems have a also targeted the pa06 since before gerlach left. it’s gotten them nowhere. try the pa15. honestly the pa16? HA…thats an extremely culturally R district. unless you can convince voters that dems have the interest of the worker and aren’t worried about ID politics….you are going to carry the 06 or 16.

  13. Dems have started twice weekly rallies/marches across the country, something we have never seen before in the aftermath of an election. You think they’re just going to stop? It’s become trendier than brunch and that fad never ended.

    How are Republicans going to campaign when there are hordes of juiced up Democrats ready to descend on their events at a moments notice and get them sputtering on video with the details of ‘Replace-care?’ (Which is going to be, I’m sure,”beautiful, just terrific.”) Fitzpatrick won’t be able to show his face at the Doylestown Farmers Market.

  14. Chances are that the 2018 election will be a mid-term unlike any other. Trump & Co. aren’t prepared to sit back and take the traditional hits a seated party normally suffers. And Ryan and his colleagues are into empire building and like the new neighborhood. Look for them to ramp up the attack from April-May 2018. The Republicans will be out for blood, especially if the Democrats have tried hard to block Trump and Republican agendas.

    2018 will be very, very ugly, compounded by the gubernatorial and senate races, which stand by themselves to be particularly nasty. The Republicans will likely hold their noses regarding Fitzpatrick and other Stockholm Syndrom colleagues from heavily Democrat districts, as long as they get on board. It will remain a zero-sum game.

    However, should Fitzpatrick or likeminded Republicans refuse national level support, they might be useful sacrificial lambs. Trump & Co., especially with Republican backing, are already figuring on gains nationwide. A couple of casualties by the Pennsylvania side of the road might be an acceptable loss — and a useful warning to others.

  15. DD, does that one dead hooker rule still hold if the hooker is a transvestite? I need to know, pronto.

  16. Van Buren:

    Show your ignorance. Those you named only won two-Year terms. No member of The House gets a four-year term.

  17. Keep dreaming! These are all longshot seats for the D’s in 2018 ….they could only possibly win Meehan seat if its open, that’s about it. The others will hold R with the current incumbents.

  18. The 7th will be a top 10 District seat in the Country if Meehan runs for Senate or Gov. A strong moderate Democratic candidate from Delco who has an existing base and can raise congressional dollars will be a real threat in this cycle. It will also have to be a fresh face. I’d personally like to see a strong female win this seat.

  19. The Democrats have to start fielding good candidates. That is consistently their biggest challenge. Instead of running at least faux moderates they run candidates who are more ideologically in line with a seat 10 to 20 points more Democratic.

  20. Wouldn’t this be targeting for 2020? I know for sure Smucker, Meehan, and Fitzpatrick won in 2016. 4 year terms.

  21. The 7th is the most gerrymandered district in the country. It’s not winnable without a major scandal by Meehan (it would have to be bigger than being caught in a hotel room with a dead hooker).

  22. Maybe they will do better, but honestly, you could have changed the date on this press release and easily had it be the same one they put out for the last 2 cycles, with the same sad results.

  23. I’m sure Republicans will be JUST FINE when they unveil their super secret plans for *drum roll* REPEAL AND REPLACE! Maybe they’ll get lucky and people won’t notice they can’t see a doctor anymore.

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