Changed Situation In Pennsylvania-8 Congressional 'Rerun' Pennsylvania sign (Dreamstime)
By John Gizzi | Wednesday, 05 October 2022 05:00 PM EDT
The current race in Pennsylvania's 8th District is one of several throughout the U.S. that are 'reruns' from 2020. But with 5 weeks to go before Republican Jim Bognet again squares off against Democrat Rep. Matt Cartwright, there are significant differences that now make Bognet at least even money to reverse the outcome of two years ago.
"Joe Biden has been president and [Cartwright] has complete, abject loyalty to the president who has given us 8.3 percent inflation and gas prices up to $3.89 per gallon," Bognet told Newsmax, "And that's the highest it has been here since I was 3 years old."
A native of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and former Trump Administration official in the Export-Import Bank, Bognet in 2020 lost by about 12,000 votes out of more than 344,000 cast.
"And it took 4 days for me to learn I was behind," said the GOP hopeful.
Along with his ties to Biden, Bognet predicted, Cartwright will be hurt by his position on abortion.
In Bognet's words, "My opponent has always said he is pro-life, but he has increasingly voting pro-abortion. And we're a very Catholic, pro-life district."
The conservative hopeful is a strong opponent of abortion and made clear he has no problem voicing his point of view in the campaign with Cartwright.
Earlier this year, Cartwright faced an unanticipated "bump" when he appeared in advertisements soliciting business for a plaintiff's lawyer — who also happened to be one of his top contributors. Members of Congress have ethics rules barring them from promoting commercial business for anyone in the private sector. Following several published reports that pointed this out, Cartwright cited "an apparent misunderstanding" about the shot and sent a cease and desist letter to the law firm, which promptly pulled the ads.
Because of the tight outcome of the race in '20, Bognet is likely to get the national party support that eluded him in his last campaign. And, as it was in the twilight hours of the campaign two years ago, the race in Pennsylvania-8 is already beginning to be watched nationwide.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.