Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board backs Lamb over Fetterman for Senate

The Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Rep. Conor Lamb (Pa.) in the state’s Democratic Senate primary race on Sunday, arguing that his time in Congress combined with his history of winning tough elections makes him a better choice than his top rival, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

“Pennsylvanians deserve a senator who is more than just a plus-one vote for the Democratic caucus in the Senate; it’s crucial that voters elect a candidate who would add value by representing the commonwealth,” the newspaper’s editorial board wrote.

“Based on his history of winning extremely competitive general elections, his familiarity with Congress from his time in the House of Representatives, and his thoughtfulness on tough policy questions, we endorse Conor Lamb.”

The endorsement from Pennsylvania’s largest newspaper came just over a week before the May 17 primary. Recent polling shows Lamb trailing Fetterman in a distant second place; a survey released last week by Franklin & Marshall College showed the lieutenant governor scoring 53 percent to Lamb’s 14 percent.

While Fetterman has taken a more progressive approach to the campaign, Lamb has sought to cast himself as the kind of moderate Democrat capable of picking up broad support in the general election, including in many Republican-leaning parts of the state.

Lamb, a Marine veteran and former federal prosecutor, represents a Western Pennsylvania swing district that former President Trump carried in 2016 and that President Biden narrowly won in 2020.

That record, the Inquirer’s editorial board wrote, could prove useful for Democrats in a general election that could very well decide the fate of the Senate majority. Republicans need to flip just one seat in the upper chamber to recapture control, and Pennsylvania is one of just a few states where Democrats believe they have a promising chance to make gains.

In announcing its endorsement, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial board acknowledged concerns among some Democrats that Lamb would be an unreliable vote for his party’s agenda if he were to win the election in November, but insisted that his voting record in the House suggests otherwise.

“It’s hardly hyperbole to say that the election for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania could help determine the course of the nation for years to come,” the board wrote. “We believe that Lamb has the ability to defeat a Republican in the fall and then join his Democratic Senate colleagues to protect abortion rights, expand the social safety net, and safeguard the right to vote.”