Conor Lamb gets 2020 challenger touted by Trump

Regular Fox News guest Sean Parnell on Wednesday announced that he will challenge Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District. 

President Trump praised Parnell earlier this month during a visit to Pittsburgh, saying he would be a formidable challenger to Lamb. 

“I am so excited to announce that today I’m declaring my candidacy for the great people of Pennsylvania’s 17th District for Congress of the United States,” Parnell, an Army veteran, said in an appearance on “Fox & Friends.”

{mosads}”I think that Pennsylvanians and specifically the people of western Pennsylvania deserve leadership that truly represents them,” he continued. “Right now, my opponent does not represent them at all.” 

“He is a self-described moderate Democrat, but the truth of the matter is that he’s voted in lockstep with [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi 98 percent of the time, and the policies that he’s advocating for would be absolutely devastating to the people of western Pennsylvania,” he said. 

In the Pittsburgh visit a few weeks ago, Trump hinted that Parnell would run for Lamb’s seat, calling him a “fantastic military man.”

“There’s a guy named Sean Parnell, who is a fantastic military man. Brilliant. Got everything going,” Trump said. “And I heard, fellas — maybe my genius congressman can tell me — I hear that Sean is going to — Sean Parnell is going to run against Conor Lamb. That will help the energy business a lot. And he should win. He should win. And Sean will vote for us, and he’ll work for us.” 

Lamb, a Marine veteran and rising star in the Democratic Party, defeated former Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Pa.) in the only national race pitting two incumbents against one another in 2018 after the 17th District was redrawn. 

The congressman is also facing another GOP challenge from Air Force veteran and small business owner Scott Timko. 

The Cook Political Report rates the state’s 17th Congressional District as “likely Democratic.”