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GOP moves to boost vulnerable Pa. lawmaker after redistricting

by Ben Kamisar - 02/23/18 10:25 AM ET

The House Republicans’ campaign arm added Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-Pa.) to its list of endangered Republicans on Friday, moving to protect the congressman now that new congressional district lines threaten to give him a tough race in 2018.

Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, announced the move on Friday in a brief statement.

“Congressman Rothfus’ passion for liberty and American prosperity make him an irreplaceable member of our Conference,” Stivers said.

“Our impressive roster of Patriots for the 115th Congress welcomes Congressman Rothfus, and is proud to back him in the 2018 election so he may continue to serve the people of Pennsylvania.”

Rothfus has served in Congress in 2013, cruising to victory ever since a tough race to join Congress in 2012.

But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declared the state’s congressional lines unconstitutional last month, and the new lines drawn by the court make Rothfus’s path to reelection more difficult.

Under the old lines, Rothfus’s district voted for President Trump by more than 20 points in 2016. But the new district backed Trump by just a 3-point margin, threatening his reelection prospects in an election atmosphere that’s expected to favor Democrats.

So while Rothfus wasn’t expected to have a serious challenge in 2018, he could now.

It’s been less than a week since the court released the new lines, and GOP lawmakers like Rothfus are suing to block the decision, so it’s not yet clear who might run against Rothfus.

But Pennsylvania Democrats are talking about the prospect of Conor Lamb, who is running a strong race ahead of next month’s special election in a nearby district, running in the redrawn district.

Tags 2022 midterm elections Donald Trump Keith Rothfus Keith Rothfus National Republican Congressional Committee Pennsylvania Steve Stivers Steve Stivers