The 116th Legislative District has largely been counted out by local political pundits. Incumbent Tarah Toohil (R) has held the seat for over 10 years, cruising to victory during the 2010 midterms, defeating the incumbent Democrat. Since her election, Toohil has hardly faced a serious challenge. She has tactfully spent her time coddling to major donors and interest groups alike, amassing a large war chest for use against potential challengers. In any other election year, Toohil would assuredly continue her winning streak. As we all know, however, 2020 has been full of surprises. If that streak continues, and the old adage – all politics is local – holds true, Toohil may be in for the biggest challenge of her electoral career.
Todd Eachus has mounted a Democratic challenge that in many ways seems improbable. The match up in the mountain city, Hazleton, Pennsylvania, bares stark resemblances to Toohil’s inaugural campaign back in 2010. In fact, it was Eachus, the previous incumbent, whom Toohil unseated in her run for office. The former Democratic Majority Leader has revived his political grassroots base and has already started hitting Toohil hard on the issues.
Long-term followers of Northeastern Pennsylvania politics shouldn’t be surprised. Those who followed the Harrisburg stalwart through his days as Majority Whip, and his ultimate election to Democratic Majority Chair, are familiar with Eachus’s bipartisan approach to politics. Harrisburg strategists have already warned local Republican leaders of a potential crossover coalition, comprised of long-time Eachus followers and progressive Democrats alike. Moreover, Eachus has already homed in on kitchen table issues that have resonated with voters in the district. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Eachus shocked local politicos in calling out Amazon and other large warehouses for their mishandling of front-line workers’ pay. In a video advertisement put out by Eachus’s campaign on social media, he stands in front of local factories like Cargill and American Eagle, demanding worker protections. He’s also preemptively taken the fight to the State Capitol, hitting hard on environmental protections and speaking out about the development of a local petrochemical plant in his district.
Daily Kos recently published an editorial that shows the competitiveness of the PA House, which has not fallen upon deaf ears. Republican strategists worry about a foreseen “up ballot” effect. The questions on everyone’s mind are simple: Can Eachus’s numbers hold going into November, and what does it mean for the Presidential election? Eachus has already narrowed the gap in two of Hazleton’s key precincts, one in a traditionally Republican stronghold. Even more worrisome to Republicans, he’s outperformed 2016 numbers in the suburbs and traditionally rural areas of the district. Between crossover D’s and increased voter turnout among newly registered voters, local strategists would be remiss to discount the 116th race as said and done.
Rating: Tossup