Trump, Pence throw weight behind Saccone in 18th District race
Donald Trump’s re-election campaign has endorsed the Republican nominee in the 18th Congressional District special election on March 13, as the state party plans a high-priced fundraiser featuring Vice President Mike Pence fort its candidate.
Donald J. Trump for President Inc. said Tuesday in a video posted to its website it was endorsing state Rep. Rick Saccone of Elizabeth in the special election to fill the seat vacated in October by former congressman Tim Murphy.
“Rick is a respected veteran and faithful family man who will fight for the families of Pennsylvania for more economic growth and opportunities,” said Lara Trump, a senior adviser to Trump for President and the chief executive’s daughter-in-law.
President Trump tweeted his plans to travel to Pennsylvania to show his “total support” for Saccone last week ahead of a visit to H&K Equipment Inc. in North Fayette Township to discuss the tax bill he signed last month.
Saccone, an Air Force veteran who’s held his current seat since 2011, is vying for federal office against Democratic nominee Conor Lamb of Mt. Lebanon, a former federal prosecutor and Marine Corps veteran.
“The fact that Washington, DC politicians are campaigning for our opponent doesn’t change what Conor or our campaign are doing,” Lamb’s campaign manager, Abby Murphy, rsaid in an email. “Conor is introducing himself to voters at their doors, hearing from them about important issues and working hard to earn the only endorsements that really matter.”
A recent poll by the Democratic firm DFM Research shows Saccone with the support of 41 percent of district voters to Lamb’s 38 percent, with another 21 percent undecided. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent.
Also on Tuesday, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania emailed an invitation to a Feb. 2 “special event with Vice President Mike Pence in support of Rick Saccone.”
The invitation advertised a “photo opportunity” for those contributing the minimum of $5,400, plus a “VIP meet and greet” for those who give $10,000. The party said the location of the event would be provided “upon RSVP.”
“This special election is an opportunity for us to send a message that the Republican Party is as strong as it has ever been in Pennsylvania – a narrative that the media is attempting to dispel,” said the email, signed by state GOP Chairman Val DiGiorgio. “In order to accomplish this goal, we are going to need sustainable resources.”
Libertarian candidate Drew Gray Miller, a Pittsburgh attorney, also is running in the special election.