Republicans vow to retain Murphy’s 18th District seat
Reaction to the news that Rep. Tim Murphy would not seek reelection was swift.
GOP leadership asserted they would retain his 18th District seat.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Steve Stivers said in a statement: “While I am extremely disappointed in the circumstances surrounding Congressman Murphy’s retirement, I remain confident that PA-18 will remain under Republican control next year. I look forward to working with the eventual Republican nominee to ensure the district’s conservative values are represented in Congress.”
In announcing that he would retire at the end of his term, Mr. Murphy did not address a a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report that quoted documents indicating that despite opposing abortion rights as a legislator, he allegedly encouraged a woman with whom he was having an affair to have an abortion.
Ultimately, she turned out not to be pregnant.
But others were less quiet. Even before his announcement Wednesday evening, there already was talk in Republican circles about finding a replacement. Critics were speaking out, and some faith leaders said they were troubled by the report.
“Hypocrisy reigns supreme on this issue, particularly among lawmakers,” said Sari Stevens, executive director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates, the political advocacy arm of the women’s health care provider.
While she said she could not speak about Mr. Murphy’s true position on the issue, “I’ve had Republican lawmakers behind closed doors say things like, ‘ My sister had an abortion, and it was a good decision for her at the time, but I’m voting pro life.’”
And within hours of the Post-Gazette’s story going online, an opinion writer for the conservative Washington Examiner called reports of Mr. Murphy’s infidelity the “first big test as Speaker of the House” for Wisconsin’s Paul Ryan.
“Ryan must decide whether to turn a blind eye on the congressional infidelity or give Murphy the boot,” wrote Philip Wegmann. Mr. Wegmann approvingly cited former House Speaker John Boehner’s handling of an extramarital affair involving Indiana Republican Rep. Mark Souder, who resigned in 2010 under pressure after admitting to an affair with a staffer.
Conservative groups expressed dismay on Wednesday. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, whose group bestowed Mr. Murphy with a 2015 “True Blue” award for his voting record on abortion and other issues, called the report “disappointing and disturbing.” In a statement, he said Mr. Murphy’s “statements and actions are at odds with his own voting record. Inappropriate personal behavior has public ramifications [and] opens him up to charges of hypocrisy.”
Michael Geer, president of the conservative Pennsylvania Family Institute, said the group was “deeply saddened by this news, and the painful impact both families involved are now experiencing. ... Sadly, abortionists and their allies have long helped politicians and laymen alike cover up their misconduct by taking an innocent human life.”
“One thing we really need in the pro-life movement is integrity,” said Gary Dull, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Pastor Network. “We need to run away from hypocrisy, and I think unfortunately Mr. Murphy’s integrity has been affected in a negative way. I think that has an impact on the entire movement. There are always people saying those of us in the movement are in it just to be in the public eye. When something like this happens, it almost appears that the accusation is accurate.”
But Mr. Dull said that as a pastor for over 40 years, “I know anybody can fall into any kind of sin. ... What may have taken place here is a spiritual battle in which Mr. Murphy failed. I’d encourage him, if this is true, to go before the public, confess this and repent of it.”
And while Mr. Dull said that he hoped Mr. Murphy would continue to vote against abortion, he should reduce his profile on the issue “at least until he re-establishes his integrity. It may be wise for him to stay clear of it entirely.”
“I’m shocked and saddened by this,” said Jim Ludwig, the director of Verona-based advocacy group LifePAC. The group has previously backed Mr. Murphy, who Mr. Ludwig said “has been a consistent vote” against abortion. As recently as Tuesday night, the congressman voted for a bill he cosponsored that bars abortion past 20 weeks.
“Certainly it hurts” when a public figure can be accused of hypocrisy, Mr. Ludwig said. “We have changed our positions before on candidates, and if he’s a candidate next year, we would examine [his record] again.” But he said it was too soon to say whether LifePAC would reverse its prior support.
Mr. Murphy’s constituents may be less forgiving, said Justin DePlato, a political science professor at Robert Morris University who represented the 18th Congressional District as a delegate to last year’s Republican National Convention.
Before the news of the planned retirement by Mr. Murphy, Mr. DePlato said, “I think the abortion revelation is a game-changer. … I was talking with an 82-yearold last night who is a very big pro-lifer and she’s really upset.”
“I think among the establishment he’s well liked, and you have establishment people saying ‘People make mistakes,’ “he added. “But you have grassroots people — the more Trump wing of the party — saying he has to go.”
Mr. Murphy has cruised to re-election in the past, and he has straddled a district that ranges from prosperous suburbs to rural communities with a mixture of medical expertise, blue-collar-friendly stances on trade issues, and a conservative voting record. But Mr. DePlato said many rank-and-file voters perceived him as aloof, and were unsure of his commitment to their issues.
“He’s skilled in making sure that he covers the constituent interests,” he said. But doubt about his sincerity on an issue like abortion “is a death blow with the Trump wing.”
Information about Mr. Murphy’s relationship with Shannon Edwards, a forensic psychologist, originally came out during a Allegheny County Family Court proceeding in the divorce case of Ms. Edwards and her husband, Jesse Sally. At a hearing Wednesday in that case, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kathryn Hens-Greco ordered that Mr. Murphy must be deposed. The congressman had previously objected, but at the hearing, his attorney, Kenneth Horoho, said that he and Dr. Sally’s attorney had reached an agreement to schedule the proceeding.