By William Bourque
In American elections, the swing state reigns supreme. Now, more than ever, voters in swing states decide the course of American democracy more than any other. Here at U.S. Resist News, we have been looking at some of the closest house races across the nation. This week, I will focus on house races in the swing states of Georgia and Pennsylvania. Both of them have key implications in the race for President, as well as for control of the house.
Starting off in Georgia’s 6th district with incumbent Lucy McBath, a tightly contested race is expected. She faces Karen Handel, who is the former representative for the district who McBath beat in 2018 by a margin of about 4000 votes. This district is one that historically leans republican, which can be backed by 2016 presidential results. Trump won GA-06 by 1.5 points, a close margin in comparison to 2012, where Romney beat Obama by a whopping 23.5 points. McBath is the first democrat to represent the new 6th district, which was redrawn in the early 1990’s and includes the city of Roswell and many northern suburbs of Atlanta. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich hails from Georgia’s 6th, which shows just how much of a stronghold it was for the right. McBath has campaigned on being a strong advocate for gun control, as she lost her own son to gun violence in 2012. She has also promised to continue to fight for affordable healthcare for all Americans. McBath faces a difficult test ahead, but the two-time cancer survivor is no stranger to challenges, which she plans to face head-on.
Pennsylvania’s recently redrawn 10th district, which includes Harrisburg, may be one of several districts in the state to have a red seat turn blue. In 2018, The Supreme Court of the United States upheld the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s redrawn congressional districts, leading to some upheaval and discontent from state republicans. The incumbent is republican Scott Perry, who won a close contest in the first-ever race in the newly drawn district. Perry faces former Auditor General of Pennsylvania Eugene DePasquale, who has a history of winning close races in the state. A recent poll from FiveThirtyEight has Perry with a three point advantage. It is interesting to note that Vice President Biden holds a slight lead over President Trump in the district, in poll done by GBAO, an organization from Washington D.C. Depasquale’s campaign is running on his strength as Auditor General and his experience in the Pennsylvania Legislature, where he served for 5 years. Perry has shown himself to be an avid follower of President Trump, voting with hum 95.8% in this congressional session, according to FiveThirtyEight. Depasquale has to lean on his base of democrats who supported him in the race for Auditor General, as well as those republicans who can’t support their President any longer. The race is bound to be close, and we will continue to cover it at USResist News