Lamb: Pennsylvania race isn’t about Trump

LEBANON, Pa. — Democrat Conor Lamb on Tuesday downplayed the idea that his special election House race is a referendum on President Trump. 

In Tuesday’s election, Lamb will seek to pull off an upset in a district that Trump won easily in the presidential race.

Asked if the race would say something about Trump’s popularity, Lamb answered that it simply said that people are excited about his local race against GOP state Rep. Rick Saccone.

“I’m happy for them that their voices are going to be heard all around the world today. But this is a local race, people are voting for either me or Rick Saccone I don’t think it has anything to do with the president,” Lamb said.

Polls show Lamb with a narrow lead over Saccone for a seat that has been held by Republicans for nearly two decades.

The White House has increasingly made itself a part of the race, with Trump holding a campaign event on Saturday and the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. stumping on Monday.

Trump Jr. repeatedly told reporters that the president’s agenda would be on the ballot on Tuesday.

The most recent poll of the district, released Monday by Monmouth University, showed Trump with a 49 percent approval rating and the same 49 percent approval rating. An Emerson poll from earlier this month found Trump faring slightly better — 47 percent of respondents said they approved of his job performance, compared to 43 percent who said they did not.