As has been reported last week, the DSCC has made a $1.1 million dollar ad buy in support of Katie McGinty in the race for the Pennsylvania Senate seat currently held by Pat Toomey. In October of this year, this would hardly be a story. This ad buy however comes during a primary in which two other candidates are running to represent the party in the general election (GE) in an attempt to unseat a vulnerable Republican.
McGinty was White House Council on Environmental Quality under Bill Clinton and was former chief of staff to Governor Wolf. She ran for governor herself in 2014 (she finished fourth in the primary).
One of the other candidates is Joe Sestak, a retired Navy Admiral and former Representative that barely lost to Toomey in the last election. The other candidate is Braddock Mayor John Fetterman, by far the most progressive candidate of the three with a compelling personal story.
The most obvious question is….why? Why wouldn’t we want this money spent in a GE against the vulnerable Republican?
Joe Sestak is the current front-runner. In the latest Harper poll he leads second place McGinty by 10 points and Fetterman by a wider margin. He also currently polls the best (although not by much) in the GE against Senator Toomey in the latest Quinnipiac poll.
McGinty is widely considered to be the establishment candidate in the race and has the backing of most of the usual party establishment types. Sestak has long been a thorn in the side of the Democratic establishment, and Fetterman is also not considered a member of the establishment (and has endorsed Senator Sanders for President).
Why is the DSCC pouring money in for a candidate that is 10 points down in a primary and marginally worse in a GE match-up with the incumbent?
The political arm of the Environmental Defense Fund has also been sending out mailers (I personally have received 3 so far) in support of McGinty that is supposed over six figures as well. This despite the fact that she has worked in the energy industry and supports fracking. The EDF has had the reputation of being cozy with energy businesses, so they probably view McGinty as their ideal candidate since she has that same inclination.
Draw you own conclusions. For the DSCC, I’m guessing it’s all about the establishment. Sestak and Fetterman don’t fit in with them, so they are willing to spend seven figures to do something about it.
While it may be understandable from their point of view, it’s laughable from the point of view of an average Democrat. Spending a million dollars on a preferred candidate running against two other well-qualified candidates is a waste of time and money.
When the DSCC sends me their next fundraising letter, I’m hoping they tell everyone they ask for money that it will be promptly used to defeat other Democrats running for the Senate, rather than being used to defeat vulnerable Republican Senators in the GE.
You think they will?