Katie McGinty is attempting to use this spotlight to boost her chances in a tight Senate race.
The U.S. Senate candidate aims to energize her base while also networking with the political power brokers at the convention
PHILADELPHIA — There are receptions to attend, floor speeches to practice and congressional leaders to schmooze with. Then there are meetings with leaders who control the legislative agenda and bundlers who control purse strings.
And that’s just for starters.
Four days. That’s how long candidates have to make an impression on political power brokers. It’s their last big chance to lock down party support before they turn their attention to undecided voters after this week’s Democratic National Convention.
The quadrennial event presents a crucial opportunity for down-ticket candidates, especially those in close races who need every vote, every campaign contribution and every bit of help they can squeeze out of their parties’ most active and influential members.
Katie McGinty, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is making the most of every minute bouncing from one event to the next and stopping to exchange a hug with every powerbroker she meets.
Face time is important, and at the party’s largest confab of true believers, she can get a lot of it all at once rather than have to travel back and forth along the Pennsylvania Turnpike for speeches, meetings and fundraisers.
On Wednesday, she attended a fundraiser for female candidates from across the country, rehearsed the prime-time speech she will deliver tonight at the convention, gave two television interviews, bumped into a governor and a U.S. senator, rallied steelworkers at a union luncheon, participated in a conference call with campaign staff and caught up on the latest Trump-Clinton news. And that was just in the morning.
Between events she fueled up quickly on a fried-egg sandwich — $2.50 from the food court of the Commerce Square office building where she has a campaign office on the 38th floor.
“It sticks to your ribs, keeps the tank fueled and you’re good for a few hours,” she said as she ducked out of her office, purse in hand, still chewing. Next stop: the ladies’ room to quickly primp for back-to-back television interviews.
Later in the day, she held several meetings with union leaders, attended an EMILY’s List reception for female candidates, gave a radio interview and circled back with her staff to plan for another busy day today.
“I’m super-charged, high energy, burning the candle at both ends,” she said in an interview Wednesday — and she appears to be loving every minute of it. “There’s so much positive energy around here throughout this convention, and that’s what’s firing me up.”
She said her aim walking into the convention was to energize her base so they can deliver her message back to their communities.
Conventions are great opportunities for candidates to meet new people who can help raise campaign funds, said Democratic strategist Larry Ceisler of Harrisburg.
“And because of the plethora of people of nature stature … the sharp candidate can grab someone to be a draw for a fundraiser. And then if you’re really lucky and run into a Meryl Streep, Lena Dunham or Paul Simon then you an really add some cash to your pile if they agree to come in for you.”
She also had to spend part of Wednesday doing damage control after a gaffe Tuesday during a union event where her enthusiasm got the better of her. She wound up calling Republican incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey “an a— hole.”
She said it with a smile instead of in anger, almost a good-natured jab, playing off comments made by labor leader Chris Shelton of the Communications Workers of America, who used the same sobriquet to describe Donald Trump.
She quickly apologized, but the incident remained a distraction on Wednesday.
She stayed on message during a succession of media interviews Wednesday, repeatedly telling reporters she is the daughter of a “salty Irishman” who inherited some of his saltiness, and then quickly pivoted to subjects she’s more comfortable with: job training, education funding, raising wages and criticizing Mr. Toomey using G-rated language.
“The senator has been very true to his convictions, but they’re very much out of the mainstream,” she said. “It’s not helpful to jobs, it’s not helpful to families and to our future. I represent something different,” she said in an interview.
Mostly, she spent the day gladhanding, fist-bumping and hugging various friends, supporters and fellow politicians as she made her way between events.
“How’s the race looking?” Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe asked as he breezed by on his way to an event in the Sheraton Hotel where Ms. McGinty had just wrapped up her own speech.
“We’re fighting like hell, and the polls are up for us,” Ms. McGinty responded as the rushing poiticians paused long enough for a quick hug before each rushed off to their next commitments.
Conventions present a unique opportunity to quickly network with many powerful political influencers in a short period of time.
Mr. Toomey missed out on that chance when he — like many Trump-wary Republicans — skipped last week’s Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, in his case, he may not have missed much. That’s what former Gov. Ed Rendell said, anyway.
“Pat Toomey has the advantage of being an incumbent senator so he knows the GOP donors pretty well. Katie doesn’t because she’s new,” said Mr. Rendell, who is Ms. McGinty’s campaign chairman.
If Mr. Toomey had attended the GOP convention he almost certainly would have had a speaking role similar to Ms. McGinty’s, who will deliver brief remarks on the last and biggest night of the the DNC. It’s the kind of slot offered to candidates in competitive race that both parties consider important and winnable.
Each day here is a journey — Ms. McGinty moves by foot, by subway, by car to her multiple stops. She came through a revolving door Wednesday, and there was a small moment of hesitation.
Revolving doors have become a central symbol in the Toomey campaign’s attack ads against Ms. McGinty, which accuse her of using “the revolving door” to move back and forth between government jobs and positions in the private sector.
“Why did I go through that way?” she asked aloud. “You know, that’s something I actually have to think about.”
Chris Potter contributed. John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News contributed. Washington Bureau Chief Tracie Mauriello: tmauriello@post-gazette.com, 703996-9292 or pgPoliTweets.