Washington Post: Barletta’s “performance was weaker than expected”
TPM: Tuesday’s “results are unlikely to calm [GOP’s] nerves”
Congressman Lou Barletta failed to meet Republicans’ already-low expectations last night when he failed to garner a decisive primary win, despite an endorsement and last-minute robocall from President Trump and outspending his “unknown, underfunded” opponent by significant margins.
Barletta has a lot of baggage – he has connections to white supremacists and Holocaust deniers and has worked to undermine Medicare and Social Security – and his campaign has been a source of constant worry for Republicans. Last night’s results did nothing to alleviate their fears. See what Pennsylvanians are reading:
TPM: Trump-Backed Barletta Underperforms In Pennsylvania Senate Primary Win
By Cameron Joseph
Read the full article here.
Washington Post: Daily 202: Barletta won the GOP primary to challenge Sen. Bob Casey (D) but his performance was weaker than expected. Despite vocal support from Trump, and a last-minute robo-call, he only got 63 percent against an unknown, unfunded state representative. Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio) similarly underperformed in a Senate primary last week.
CNN: Barletta, who was elected in the tea party wave of 2010, has taken a hard line on immigration in the Senate. Republicans sought a more moderate candidate for the race but were unable to persuade other prospects to run. Barletta has lagged in the fundraising race, collecting nearly $1.3 million in 2018’s first quarter and ending with $1.6 million on hand, compared to Casey’s nearly $10 million on hand.
Washington Post: Casey has built a much bigger campaign account than Barletta, giving them another reason to be confident he will prevail in November. As of late April, Barletta had about $1.3 million in his campaign account. Casey had more than $9.9 million.
See more:
Mother Jones: This Man Was Trump Before Trump. He Just Won Pennsylvania’s Senate Primary.
Newsweek: Trump’s ‘Good Friend’ Who Vowed To ‘Get Rid Of The Illegal People’ Wins Republican Pennsylvania Senate Primary
Washington Examiner: Pennsylvania Republicans vent frustration with Lou Barletta’s Senate campaign
CNN: GOP Senate candidate Lou Barletta did interview in 2006 with Holocaust-denying publication|
Philadelphia Inquirer: Lou Barletta has Trump ties. But can he raise the money to take on Bob Casey?
PennLive: Barletta’s hard line on immigration, weak fund-raising are undermining Senate bid, analysts say
DSCC: What to know about Congressman Lou Barletta