The Democrat-controlled Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s selection of the state’s new congressional maps has given Democrats a slight partisan edge in the state’s 17th Congressional District (PA-17).
Prior to redistricting, PA-17 was given a partisan rating by FiveThirtyEight of R+2. It is now rated D+1. The Cook Political Report says the race for the seat is currently a tossup.
The incumbent Democrat U.S. Representative Conor Lamb (D-PA-17) announced that he is not running for reelection and is instead running for the Democrat nomination in the U.S. Senate race to fill retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey’s seat. This means PA-17 has an open seat.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) previously said that it is targeting PA-17 for a Republican takeover.
FEC records show conservative businesswoman Tricia Staible, delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention Dean Cavaretta, political commentator and national security expert Jason Killmeyer, and carpenter James Tomshay as candidates that are running in the Republican Primary.
As of this writing, Staible is the only Republican candidate, according to the FEC, who has filed campaign finance reports. She has raised $106,251.00 and has $102,563.68 on hand. The other candidates in the field were either not required to file a finance report because they declared after the December 31, 2021 reporting deadline, or they haven’t raised or spent above the FEC’s $5,000 reporting threshold.
FEC records show Iraq War veteran Christopher Deluzio and Democrat National Committee member Sean Meloy as candidates running in the Democrat primary. Deluzio has raised $350,722.03 and has $165,606.39 cash on hand. Deluzio has many local endorsements including the United Steelworkers Local 1088 union, local Democrat Party chairs and committee members, Democrat General Assembly members, and local Democrat elected officials.
Meloy has raised $130,886.80 and has $112,922.49 on hand. He is a Democratic National Committee member from Pennsylvania and would be the first openly gay member of Congress from the Keystone State. Meloy has been endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory fund, several Pennsylvania State Democrat Committee members, and several local Democrat elected officials.
The primaries are scheduled to take place on May 17. The candidate filing deadline for Pennsylvania primaries is March 15. More candidates may enter the race.
The Pennsylvania Daily Star previously reported on Thursday that redistricting has changed the lines for PA-17. It is currently unclear if the newly enacted district lines will cause any of the declared candidates to drop out of the race.
– – –
Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR.
Photo “Tricia Staible” by Tricia Staible. Photo “Sean Meloy” by Sean Meloy.
