It’s the home stretch for electoral campaigns across the country, and here are some to look out for at home.
With each passing day, it gets closer and closer to November 8, where people will finally cast their votes for many different offices. These candidates are just a few of the many seeking to get your vote.
US Senator Pat Toomey (R): Running for reelection
Pat Toomey is a freshman senator representing Pennsylvania, and was previously the representative for Pennsylvania’s 15th congressional district from 1999-2005.
Toomey ran unopposed in the Pennsylvania primary, and is facing off against Democrat Katie McGinty, Libertarian Edward Clifford III, and Independent Everett Stern.
His campaign has raised more money for the race according to the most recent filing with the federal elections commission, raising $3.25 million and spending $4.7 million to have $7.7 million on hand compared to McGinty’s $2.9 million raised, $1.5 spent, and $2.4 million on hand.
McGinty, however, has a slight lead in the RealClearPolitics poll average of .2%. The most recent polls have them tied and Toomey ahead by 1%, well within the margin of error in polling.
A source in the Toomey campaign said that he has made over 50 campaign stops since July, and has just finished a 1,500 mile RV tour across Pennsylvania with his family, as well as releasing several ads, including one released last week slamming McGinty for tax increases on working Pennsylvanians.
Other ads released by political action committees have praised Toomey for voting for a bill to increase background checks for gun purchases, as part of a strategy of gun control lobbies to look at both sides of the aisle for support, according to the New York Times.
US Congressman Ryan Costello (R): Running for reelection
Ryan Costello is a freshman congressman representing the 6th congressional district of Pennsylvania, which includes parts of Lebanon, Berks, Chester, and Montgomery counties.
Costello was unopposed in the Republican primary, and is running against Democrat Mike Parrish, who won the Democratic primary unopposed. The district has been labelled as a safe Republican district, with Costello winning his first election in 2014 by 13%.
General consultant and senior adviser Vincent Galko says that the campaign is feeling confident — but not “cocky” — about the race, saying that Parrish has no substance to his campaign.
“We honestly feel we are running the better candidate,” he said. “He has done a good job in Congress and as a candidate, while Parrish has a problem with his record.”
Parrish has made a name for himself touting his business record, but leaked Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee documents show a different story, citing over a dozen lawsuits and a bankruptcy filing for the company he worked for as president, according to the Daily Caller.
Galko said that Costello has not framed the race about the issues facing the country, but as a race of character.
“Costello’s main issue is representing the district,” he said. “He spends every moment he can in the district helping his constituents instead of Washington, and that has really paid off now.”
The Blackfriar Chronicle also reached out to Democrats Katie McGinty and Congressman Bob Brady for comment. The McGinty campaign was unable to respond for comment by deadline and the Brady campaign did not return calls and emails.
