Trump Couldn't Save Pennsylvania House Seat, But Omens Are Mixed for Texas Races

WASHINGTON -- With visions of a fall tidal wave spinning in their heads, Democrats spent Wednesday celebrating a win in a Pittsburgh-area congressional district that Donald Trump carried by 20 points.The president put his prestige on the line in the race. The loss sent shudders through the ranks of Republicans already anxious about losing control of Congress. But the lessons are mixed for Texas, where Democrats are targeting GOP incumbents in three districts Trump lost in 2016.The demographics, candidates and economic conditions are vastly different, even if the impact on morale was profound."It's game on," said Colin Allred, a former prosecutor and NFL player who hopes to oust Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions, though first he'll have to win a primary runoff. "It's heartening for us because it shows that even in areas that have been represented by a Republican for a long time that if you take your argument to the voters and talk about local issues and kitchen table issues, that any precinct, any district is flappable."Democrat Conor Lamb beat Republican Rick Saccone in the special House race in western Pennsylvania by fewer than 700 votes, an upset as stunning as the one in Alabama, where Democrats snatched the Senate seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.Sen. John Cornyn, the deputy GOP leader, called it "a wake-up call" and a reminder against complacency in the fall. Rep. Charlie Dent, a Pennsylvania moderate, called it a "political earthquake" and sign of a "very major headwind" for his party.  Continue reading...