EMILY’s list endorses Val Arkoosh in Pennsylvania Senate race

EMILY’s List, the progressive group that backs women running for public office, on Monday threw its support behind Val Arkoosh in the Democratic primary to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).

“Pennsylvania, like much of the country, is at a critical moment — from the continued health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to national debates on how best to address systemic racism and climate change,” Emily Cain, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.

“If we want to continue making progress, we must expand our Democratic majority in the Senate with strong women leaders like Val, who will fight every day to improve the lives of all Pennsylvanians, and EMILY’s List is proud to stand with her.”

The endorsement from EMILY’s List is a crucial one for Arkoosh, a Montgomery County commissioner and the only prominent woman seeking the Democratic Senate nomination in Pennsylvania. 

The group previously backed Democrat Katie McGinty in her 2016 Senate bid in Pennsylvania, spending nearly $6 million to boost her campaign, including nearly $2 million in the primary. 

Arkoosh is among the early front-runners in the Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania, though she faces stiff competition from Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

The field could continue to grow. Rep. Connor Lamb (D-Pa.) is believed to be nearing a Senate bid, as well. 

The Pennsylvania Senate race is almost certain to be among the most competitive of the 2022 election cycle and offers Democrats one of their best chances to expand their ultra-narrow majority in the upper chamber.