With today’s candidate filing deadline in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, Republicans face a “huge” field and no clear frontrunner to take on Rep. Matt Cartwright. With candidates twisting and turning in their attempts to tie themselves to the Washington Republican establishment and the president, this race will be an expensive and damaging race to the right.
“Republicans will have to spend the next two and half months running to the right and spending down to zero in a messy primary that pits factions of the Washington Republican establishment against each other,” said DCCC Spokesperson Courtney Rice. “While Republicans tear each other apart, Representative Matt Cartwright will continue to fight on behalf of Pennsylvanians in the 8th District, including bringing investment and jobs and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.”
Read more from National Journal’s Alex Clearfield on how whoever emerges from the “huge GOP field” will face an uphill battle against Rep. Cartwright in November:
So far, a half-dozen candidates have declared for the race, but there’s little clarity about which of them will prevail.
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[W]hoever emerges will have his work cut out for him against the Democrat, who is sitting on $1.3 million and has proven electorally resilient in the face of a changing political landscape.”
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But proving strength in a primary might not be these Republicans’ toughest task.
Cartwright won by 9 points in 2018 against self-funding attorney John Chrin, a 1-point improvement over his unexpectedly close 2016 win over former race-car driver Matt Connolly.