Draft Conor Lamb
The case for a Moderate in a Polarized Time
Our politics is polarized as we've never seen before; the riots, which occurred on January 6 of last year, will forever be etched in our memories. Senator Toomey is retiring, and Democrats have a rare opportunity to win back the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to Larry Sabato of the Center for American Politics, the one toss-up is Pennsylvania. Democrats cannot afford to lose a single senator. If so, the majority is gone.
Two candidates have already entered the race to replace Senator Toomey. Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman and State Senator Malcolm Kenyatta have both entered the race. It is likely several others will enter the race, including Madeline Dean. She became better known across the state and the nation from former President Trump's second impeachment trial. The other candidate who is all but confirmed to run is State Senator Sharif Street of Philadelphia.
Dean currently represents PA's 4th Congressional District, which is right outside of Philadelphia. Kenyatta represents the 181st district in the Pennsylvania statehouse. Senator Street represents the 3rd district in the state senate, which represents parts of Philadelphia as well. Philadelphia, Philadelphia, and Philadelphia, it all leads to a Fetterman nominee. Let the candidates in Philadelphia split the vote three ways and let Fetterman walk away with the nomination.
Enter Conor Lamb, a moderate Democrat from Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district. The 17th congressional district encompasses Beaver County, a portion of Butler County, and Allegheny County, not in the 18th Congressional District. Before serving in Congress, Lamb served in the armed forces and then became an assistant U.S. Attorney. Lamb prosecuted those responsible for the opioid crisis. He has a record on law and order that would make a difference compared to any generic Republican candidate. One of the other significant reasons Lamb could secure a Democratic victory in Pennsylvania is Lamb is not afraid to show independence. He voted against Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. He supports natural gas extraction. Many people subscribe to an all-or-nothing approach; it's nice to see some embrace a different approach to politics.
Kenyatta and Fetterman both occupy the progressive space, Fetterman endorsed Sanders in 2016, and according to some in Pennsylvania, the Senator from Vermont did not seek his endorsement in the previous cycle. Kenyatta and Lamb were given a national platform at the Democratic National Convention, which shows the type of leaders President Biden wants in the Senate.
The lessons of the previous election cycle taught many Pennsylvanians one thing this state is a center-right state. It's one of the main reasons so many Pennsylvanians like Senator Casey, a pro-life moderate Democrat, continually wins elections. The Democratic Party I subscribe to is one that focuses on winning. Conor Lamb can win in a landslide. It is why we need Lamb to go to Washington to seek solutions that work for the people of Pennsylvania in the same lane as Senator Casey.