Trump Is Scrambling To Avoid A Special Election Defeat In This Rust Belt District

HOUSTON, Pa. Conor Lamb, the Democrat running to represent this district in Congress, was wrapping up an interview with a reporter last week when Ted Skowvron, a 93-year-old veteran in a World War II cap, walked over to shake his hand.

Lamb thanked Skowvron for his service and asked him where hed served.

Skowvron informed Lamb that was he was a ball gunner on a B-17 in the European theater. But he was more interested in discussing President Donald Trump .

I just wanted to let you know: Get in there and get him out! Cuz if you dont do it, Im coming down myself, the lifelong Democrat and retired union crane operator exclaimed.

Meet the Resistance here in Pennsylvanias southwestern corner. Lamb is hoping there are enough voters like Skowvron who will help him score another upset victory for Democrats and flip a GOP-held seat in the special election on March 13.

This district should be no problem for Republicans to hang onto. Pennsylvania Republicans gerrymandered the 18th District to combine GOP-leaning Pittsburgh suburbs with once-Democratic mill towns and rural areas that have trended steadily more Republican in recent national elections. Tim Murphy, the Republican incumbent, ran unopposed in 2014 and 2016 , and Trump won the district by a whopping 20 percentage points .

But the special election clearly has Republicans on edge.

Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Donald J. Trump","author_url":"https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump","cache_age":86400,"description":"Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Donald J. 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Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018

Lamb is competing with Republican Rick Saccone, a 59-year-old state representative and former military intelligence officer. Murphy had held the seat comfortably since 2003 , but resigned in October after it emerged that the anti-abortion congressman had asked a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair to have an abortion.

Democrats have had a string of victories since Trumps inauguration. In fact, theyve flipped 34 state legislative seats , one governors seat and one U.S. Senate seat from red to blue. Republicans, meanwhile, have only picked up four state legislative seats.

Trump is heading to the 18th District on Thursday to stave off another potentially embarrassing defeat. Hell hold a rally for Saccone, whose fundraising has reportedly been lackluster.

Democrats, meanwhile, are hoping that the energy from the base and the excitement from other wins over the past year will bubble over to benefit Lamb as well.