Choices await voters Tuesday

Democrats look for U.S. House gains

HARRISBURG >> The midterm election Tuesday in Pennsylvania features a big pool of competitive races for Congress, the most closely watched contests in the state.

In statewide races, Republican businessman Scott Wagner is trying to unseat Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, and Republican U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta is seeking to topple Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

But it is a Democratic drive to

flip control of several House seats, aided by a new courtdrawn congressional map that stripped Republicans of some favorable boundaries, that is expected to produce the most drama on election night.

A look at how the races have shaped up in the Keystone State:

GOVERNOR

Wolf rolled up a huge campaign account in 2017 and consolidated the support of the Democratic Party and its allies ahead of his campaign for a second term. He has run a conservative campaign designed to limit mistakes and take advantage of Wagner’s liabilities, including his penchant for eyebrow-raising comments. For example, at one point Wagner told the governor in a Facebook video that he should get a catcher’s mask because he planned to stomp on his face with golf spikes.

Wolf, 69, has played up his first-term record, even though battles with the Legislature’s huge Republican majorities forced him to lower his expectations and change strategy midway through his first four-year term.

Wagner, a 63-year-old former state senator who made millions from his garbage-hauling business, mostly selffinanced his campaign. He has promised to slash taxes and squeeze inefficiencies out of state government. He fought an unexpectedly bruising and expensive primary and has had to answer to scrutiny of the large trash-hauling company he owns.

Spending in the race is expected to exceed $60 million.

U.S. SENATE

Barletta’s bid to stop Casey from winning a third six-year

term failed to generate the interest — and the cash — that poured into the last U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania, won in 2016 by Republican Pat Toomey.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned for the four-term congressman, but the GOP has focused its attention beyond Pennsylvania — a state Trump won by less than 1 percentage point — as it works to maintain a slim Senate majority.

Combined campaign spending is unlikely to break $40 million, as hardly any money from outside groups has entered Pennsylvania to try to influence the race, according to Federal Election Commission records. Barletta’s fundraising has also been relatively weak. By comparison, a record-breaking $170 million was spent in the 2016 race for the seat won by Toomey, the only Republican now holding statewide office in Pennsylvania.

Casey, 58, the son of the late former Gov. Robert P. Casey, has been a vocal critic of Trump, while Barletta, 62, is among the president’s most reliable defenders. Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Casey back in September, while former Vice President Joe Biden was heading to the state to campaign for him Sunday.

The two candidates have divided along party lines on major issues including immigration, health care and Trump’s tax-cutting law.

U.S. HOUSE

The most open seats in decades — seven — and redrawn district boundaries are combining to create more competitive races than usual.

The state Supreme Court in January threw out the congressional district map Republicans drew in 2011, ruling that it was unconstitutionally drawn to give Republicans an advantage, and races in Tuesday’s

election are being held within new boundaries drawn by the court’s Democratic majority. Under the 2011 map, Republicans won 13 of 18 seats in three straight elections, even as Democrats dominated in statewide elections.

Now, Republicans are expected to lose three open seats around Philadelphia and Allentown.

Incumbent Republicans are in close races, including freshman Brian Fitzpatrick in suburban Philadelphia, three-term Scott Perry in southcentral Pennsylvania and three-term Keith Rothfus in suburban Pittsburgh. Fourterm Mike Kelly in northwestern Pennsylvania and freshman Lloyd Smucker in south-central Pennsylvania are under pressure in districts won heavily by Trump.