The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced Monday it will target four Republican incumbents in Pennsylvania in 2018: Reps. Ryan Costello (R-Chester), Pat Meehan (R-Delaware), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks), and Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster).  

In 2016 the GOP candidate won PA-6 by 14 points, PA-7 by 19 points, PA-8 by 9 points and PA-16 by 11 points.

The DCCC says history is on its side.

“In modern history- since 1982- the president’s party has lost an average 28 seats in the first midterm election, even accounting for Republican gains in 2002 under President Bush,” DCCC Executive Director Dan Sena noted in a memo.  

The DCCC is looking to tie the entire slate of Republicans to the ongoing efforts to repeal the ACA, and President Trump’s agenda as a whole.

In 2016, according to Decision Desk HQ, Clinton won PA-6 by 0.6 percent and PA-7 by 4.3 percent. Trump won PA-8 by 0.2 percent and PA-16 by 7 percent.  

In his first month in office, Fitzpatrick has been a vocal critic of several of Trumps policies – making it harder for opponents to tie him to the President.

The National Republican Congressional Committee noted that all four districts were DCCC targets in 2016 the committee is on course for a repeat.
“Nancy Pelosi and the DCCC are doubling down on the same failed playbook that led to their election night shellacking across Pennsylvania. This memo is just the latest example of Democrats being completely disconnected from the needs of everyday Pennsylvanians,” said NRCC Spokesman Chris Pack.