A Republican group is poking fun at Conor Lamb’s surname and his attempts to distance himself from Nancy Pelosi, cautioning voters in a new ad that he is going to be a liberal “sheep” for the polarizing House Democratic leader if he wins an open congressional seat in western Pennsylvania.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Speaker Paul Ryan, has had a field day bashing Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, in special elections this year and returned to the line of attack in a new advertisement that started airing Friday in the race between Mr. Lamb and Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone.
“His name is Conor Lamb. But in Washington, he’d be one of Nancy Pelosi’s sheep,” the narrator says in the ad. “Lamb would join the liberal flock and follow Pelosi’s lead. Voting the straight liberal party line for Pelosi’s extreme agenda.”
Mr. Lamb told Triblive.com last month that he would not vote for Mrs. Pelosi to lead the party if he wins the seat in the 18th Congressional District, which stretches from the suburbs south of Pittsburgh to the southwest corner of the state.
“My take is, if these people have been around for several years and they haven’t solved these problems that have been hanging around, it’s time for someone new to step up and get it done,” Mr. Lamb said.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, though, says voters shouldn’t believe Mr. Lamb, arguing he will follow Mrs. Pelosi’s lead by supporting higher taxes, more regulations and efforts that weaken the military.
“We don’t need more liberal sheep in Washington - or Conor Lamb,” the ad says.
The March 13 special election race is being billed as another barometer for the political climate less than eight months out from the midterm elections, which typically serve as referendum on the sitting president.
The Congressional Leadership Fund delivered a similar message in special election races in Georgia and Montana, where the GOP candidates — Karen Handel and Greg Gianforte — dashed the hopes of Democrats eager to score their first high-profile win in the Trump era.
The Congressional Leadership Fund has opened two offices in the district. It has pledged to have an army of 50-full time door knockers and make 250,000 voter contacts prior to the election.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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