Let's start with the obvious- Tuesday night's Democratic Primary was the ultimate "establishment" night. McGinty had the endorsements of President Obama, Governor Wolf, Senator Casey, former Governor Rendell, and virtually everyone of note within the party. Joe Sestak and John Fetterman both had none of that. The DSCC and other outside groups spent a minimum of $2 million helping McGinty beat Sestak. There was even money spent on Fetterman, once it was clear that he was cutting into Sestak's totals.
It's not fair to say that was the only factor though. Katie McGinty was not a very good candidate at all when she finished last in the 2014 Governor's primary, or even when she started this U.S. Senate race. She became a very personable, likable figure as the race went on. She improved as a public speaker, her message became sharper, and she became a very disciplined candidate. Her ads over the final month were outstanding, and she clearly won the ground game in the big cities too. Katie McGinty won this race, and she deserves the credit for that.
While McGinty did win by 10%, there is more work to do. She did not carry Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Delaware County (Sestak's home), and Northampton County (Easton), amongst the Democratic-leaning counties around the state. She must improve her standing in the Lehigh Valley, the home of Senator Toomey, so as to not allow him to run a huge margin there. She also has to run a winning number out of Allegheny, if he wants to win.
I supported McGinty in this primary and i'm glad she won. Obviously there are some hurt feelings after this race, but hopefully folks who supported Sestak and Fetterman will eventually come around to her candidacy. Only time will tell if she can hold her momentum through November.
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