Here’s what the McGinty campaign is grappling with:
Katie McGinty is bought and paid for by the Washington Democratic establishment and special interests.
Democratic outside groups spent at least $4.86 million supporting Katie McGinty in the primary.
Washington Democrats and special interest groups dragged McGinty over the finish line.
Before the first special interest ads began airing in early April, a March 14-20 Franklin & Marshall poll had Katie McGinty at an embarrassing 14%. The more Washington Democrats and special interests spent…the higher McGinty’s poll numbers rose.
Majority of Pennsylvania Democrats rejected Katie McGinty.
56% of primary voters cast their ballot against her.
As Katie McGinty tries to chart her path forward, she’s first going to need to prove to voters that she isn’t a fraud. Throughout the primary McGinty claimed to be an environmentalist, but was criticized for taking big paychecks from the energy industry after regulating it. She’s also run to the left on health care and said she would take on “big pharma,” but was paid to lobby for a pharmaceutical company.
As it stands right now, many members of her own Party are anything but excited to see her name on the ballot:
- Christopher Nicholas, Arlen Specter’s 2010 Campaign Manager: “She has all the charisma of the plastic pink flamingos people put in their yards…it just doesn’t get any better for her.”
- Connie McGuiness-Myers, a Democratic voter from Springfield, said she would leave the Democratic party and become independent: "Our own party did this to him [Joe Sestak]."
- Susan Macovsky, Democratic voter from East Stroudsberg: The DSCC’s support of McGinty “is a sign of desperation” and “a blatant attempt to exert control over who should represent us.”
- Jim Burn, Former Chairman of The Pennsylvania Democratic Party: “If there is a case to be made that Katie is a better general election candidate than Joe Sestak, I haven’t seen anyone make it.”
BACKGROUND:
Democrat Outside Groups Have Spent At Least $4.86 Million Supporting McGinty
The DSCC Has Spent At Least $2.22 Million Supporting McGinty. “The DSCC added another $250,000 for McGinty, making the committee’s total investment at least $1.84 million from the IE and a minimum of $380,000 in the legally-coordinated money. (Hotline reporting)” (Andrea Drusch, “Closing McGinty Ad Features Obama,” The Hotline, 4/25/16)
NOTE: $380,000 Of The DSCC’S $2.22 Million Is Legally-Coordinated Money. (Andrea Drusch, “Closing McGinty Ad Features Obama,” The Hotline, 4/25/16)
Emily’s List Has Spent At Least $1.8 Million Supporting McGinty. “In Pennsylvania, where the group has spent nearly $1.8 million for Katie McGinty, Schriock said the group ‘truly believes’ McGinty is a better general-election candidate than her primary opponent, former Rep. Joe Sestak. While national Democrats, including President Obama, have largely sided with them on this race, a handful of other Democrats formed a super PAC to support Sestak.” (Andrea Drusch, “EMILY’s List Stands By Maryland Primary Spending,” National Journal, 4/25/16)
Environmental Defense Action Fund Has Spent At Least $327,810 Supporting McGinty. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 4/26/16)
SEIU Has Spent At Least $413,760 Supporting McGinty. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 4/26/16)
USW Works Has Spent At Least $101,061 Supporting McGinty. (Center For Responsive Politics, www.opensecrets.org, Accessed 4/26/16)