IN LAMB’S CLOTHING
Bay State rep raises name recognition backing new pols
‘Lamb’s good showing proves that Moulton’s blueprint for electing House Democrats can work. ’
The likely upset by Pennsylvania Democrat Conor Lamb in a special congressional election provides fresh fodder for the national ambitions of Massachusetts lawmaker Seth Moulton, who endorsed Lamb and provided key support.
With nearly all of the vote counted, Lamb held a lead of just over 600 votes more than his Republican rival in a nationally-watched race that was a key test of President Trump’s waning political clout. The race was so close it could be decided by a recount.
But the contest was also a test of clout for Moulton, a rising star in the Democratic ranks and a potential future candidate for the White House.
And in this early battle of Moulton against Trump, it appears Moulton has come out on top.
Lamb, an ex-Marine, was one of several dozen House candidates that Moulton has endorsed, all of whom have served in the military like Moulton.
The Massachusetts congressman helped raise nearly $80,000 for Lamb at fundraisers in Boston and New York and traveled to Pennsylvania last weekend to boost the Democratic hopeful.
In addition, six Moulton staffers helped out on Lamb’s ground campaign in the last few days, joining other Democrats from around the country in the hotly contested race.
Moulton has raised more than $1.2 million over just the last six months to elect “service-driven leaders,” giving him national attention in a relatively short time in Congress.
Lamb’s good showing proves that Moulton’s blueprint for electing House Democrats can work. Besides both being ex-Marines, Lamb ran on a similar path to Moulton’s anti-establishment campaign style.
“The political establishment, on both sides, told Conor he couldn’t win,” Moulton said in a statement yesterday after Democrats declared Lamb the winner. “But by continuing to invest in the right candidates, challenging the status quo, and talking about a forward-looking message for the country, we can take back the House and hold President Trump accountable to the American people.”
Like Moulton, Lamb said he would not support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for another term, even though Republicans attempted to tie Lamb to Pelosi.
But there are also key differences between Lamb and Moulton. The Pennsylvania Democrat was hesitant to attack President Trump on the stump, in stark contrast to Moulton’s harsh criticism of the president.
Lamb also was more in the mold of a conservative Democrat, especially by liberal Massachusetts standards. He didn’t endorse an assault weapons ban and holds personal views against abortion — though Lamb said he supported keeping abortion legal.
But the fact that Lamb eked out an apparent victory in heavily Republican turf showed that Moulton’s grass-roots recruitment effort paid off — at least this time.