Democrat Conor Lamb Declares He Won PA House Election, but It’s Still Too Close to Call

Democrat Conor Lamb declared victory in Pennsylvania’s solidly Republican 18th congressional district, though local county officials are still counting more than 1,000 absentee ballots and have yet to announce a winner. As of early Wednesday morning, Lamb led Republican State Sen. Rick Saccone by about 600 votes, with all precincts reporting. Early Wednesday, Lamb told CNN he had yet to hear from Saccone, but added, “I congratulate him on fighting hard the whole way.” President Trump personally backed Saccone and the president won the district by 20 points in the 2016 election, hinting that his own popularity is faltering there. Lamb said on Morning Joe that he believed Trump was still popular in the area, but voters “felt like things are too divided—they hear a lot of bickering especially from Washington, D.C. and they don’t see results.” Under state law, Saccone is entitled to request a recount if he believes there is a mistake in the initial vote tally—and Saccone’s campaign manager told NBC News the campaign is exploring all its options.