McGinty stirs up support
Katie McGinty obviously hopes she is holding a winning hand as the Nov. 8 election approaches, and in an effort to increase her odds of snaring a U.S. Senate seat, the Democrat made a quick lunchtime stop at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino Saturday to stir up support from local and regional elected officials and party stalwarts.
McGinty tried to rile up the troops by tying her opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, citing his reluctance to offer a full-throated endorsement of the Republican standard-bearer.
“He just hasn’t heard enough from Donald Trump to make up his mind,” McGinty said.
Tying Toomey to Trump might be good strategy for McGinty in a race where the polls have mostly shown it to be a tossup. It could well be that McGinty’s fortunes will be closely tied to those of Hillary Clinton, who has mostly maintained a single-digit lead in polls of Keystone State voters throughout the election season. The battle between Toomey and McGinty is considered one of the most critical in determining which party will control the U.S. Senate starting in January.
Speaking before the Washington County Council of Democratic Women, McGinty emphasized her working-class roots, a point she has driven home in some of the television ads that have blanketed the airwaves this campaign season, and she accused Toomey of wanting to increase taxes on low-and-middle-income earners, while slashing them for the wealthy.
“I am from a working family,” McGinty said. “I’m in a race for a family just like mine.”
Throughout her career, McGinty has been known for her work as an environmentalist, having been an environmental adviser to Al Gore when he was vice president in the 1990s and having served as the head of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection during the tenure of Gov. Ed Rendell. She acknowledged at her appearance at The Meadows, however, coal “needs to be part of the mix” of energy sources from which the country draws.
Along with raising cash for her own pricey Senate battle, McGinty said she raised $1 million for other Democratic candidates in this cycle. Some of those other candidates were at the banquet, including Pam Snyder, the state representative who is vying for a third term in the 50th Legislative District; Alan Benyak, who is hoping to replace longtime Democratic state representative Peter Daley in the 49th Legislative District; and Michael Rossi, who hopes to unseat Republican state Rep. Jim Christiana in the 15th Legislative District.