NRCC Memo: Pennsylvania Primary Results
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: NRCC Political and NRCC Communications
DATE: MAY 21, 2014
SUBJECT: Pennsylvania Primary Results
With President Obama’s approval ratings continuing to tank nationwide, Republicans in Pennsylvania are in an excellent position for November’s election. Now that Shaughnessy Naughton has conceded to Kevin Strouse, he joins Manan Trivedi as the two flawed liberal Democrats running to lose in November.
In the 8th District, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick has demonstrated how to get things done in divided government and has gotten two laws signed by the President. He is well-funded and facing off against Nancy Pelosi’s handpicked candidate Kevin Strouse, a beltway insider new to the district who barely won the race to the left in a primary that became nasty in the final weeks. As the reward for Strouse’s unimpressive margin of victory in the primary he will have the honor of losing to Congressman Fitzpatrick by double digits in November.
In the 6th District, Republican Candidate and NRCC Young Gun Ryan Costello has proven himself to be a dynamic candidate who will be an excellent legislator in Congress. Costello is running against a career political candidate who positioned himself far to the left of this district during his two double digit defeats running for this seat in 2010 and 2012.
PA-06: Ryan Costello, R vs. Manan Trivedi, D
Ryan Costello is the kind of fresh and energetic newcomer that can truly be an asset to his district in Congress. Ryan currently serves as Chair of the Chester County Board of Commissioners. As Chair, he recently approved a revised 5-year strategic plan for Chester County. Dedicated to the community, Costello has served on numerous leadership positions in the district, including the Pension Board, Prison Board, and Board of Elections. Costello is committed to balancing our nation’s budget, preserving farmland and open spaces in Pennsylvania, and improving the quality of education for the next generation. As of May 9th, Costello had $312,643.54 cash on hand.
Conversely, Manan Trivedi is a perennial candidate who has failed to win this district twice before, both times by double digits. Trivedi is on the wrong side of just about every issue that will decide this election. Whether he is endorsing the medical device tax, lauding cuts to Medicare Advantage, or advocating for a Canadian-style government monopoly on health care, Trivedi was too far left for the district when it leaned Democrat and is way too far to the left of the district now that it leans Republican. Trivedi has $167,850.56 cash on hand.
Geography: PVI: R+2. The 6th District includes communities north and west of the City of Philadelphia. Following the last round of redistricting it now is made up of parts of Chester, Montgomery, Berks and Lebanon counties. The District had a Cook Partisan Voting Index score of R+1 after the 2012 redistricting but previously was rated D+4. Both the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Report rate it as Lean Republican.
PA-08: Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R v. Kevin Strouse, D
Congressman Fitzpatrick is known as one of the hardest working Members of Congress who simply gets things done for his district. Despite a divided government, Fitzpatrick has had two of his bills signed into law by the President and was instrumental in stopping the confirmation of Dedo Adegbile as the Assistant U.S. Attorney for Department of Justice Civil Rights. Adegbile’s nomination upset families in the Philadelphia area due to his over-the-top representation of Mumia Abu-Jamal who killed a Philadelphia police officer. Fitzpatrick is continuing to fight for his district and the massive overreach of the Obama administration. Fitzpatrick has $1.6 million cash on hand.
Kevin Strouse’s connection to the 8th District began last year when he moved there from Washington D.C. in order to run for Congress. Strouse is committed to Obamacare, and has even advocated expanding the already costly law to include federal funded sex-change operations. Strouse winning in this district is considered crucial to Nancy Pelosi’s chances to become Speaker of the House next Congress and she has provided significant financial help to Strouse throughout the primary in order to get him an embarrassingly unimpressive win over Shaughnessy Naughton, who Strouse outspent by a substantial margin.
Geography: PVI: R+1. Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district serves Bucks County, along with portions of Montgomery County. Cook Political Report rates this as Lean Republican and Rothenberg rates this as Republican Favored.
STATEWIDE ROUNDUP
The following are the unofficial results from Tuesday’s primary election in Pennsylvania. These results are unofficial and incomplete.
*Philadelphia Inquirer Reports at 10:42 that Naughton called Strouse to concede
PA-08 – DEM Primary 341 of 342 (99%) Precincts Reporting per AP –
Kevin Strouse 51%
Shaughnessy Naughton 49%