>>> AS NEW POLLING SHOWS DONALD TRUMP FALTERING IN PENNSYLVANIA,
TODAY THE SUBURBS OF PITTSBURGH
WILL VOTE IN A SPECIAL ELECTION
FOR A VACANT STATE SENATE SEAT,
THE FIRST MAJOR BELLWETHER SINCE
THE 2018 MIDTERMS.
NATIONAL REPORTER JOSH LEADERMAN
REPORTED FROM THE DISTRICT THIS
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. >> PENNSYLVANIA, THANK YOU.
>> Reporter: PENNSYLVANIA PUT
DONALD TRUMP OVER THE TOP IN
2016, BUT LAST YEAR IT TOOK HIM
DOWN A NOTCH WHEN DEMOCRAT
CONNOR LAM FLIPPED A REPUBLICAN
HOUSE SEAT WITH A MESSAGE OF
UNITY.
UNITY. >> ATTACK THE PROBLEMS, NOT EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. >> Reporter: TRUMP NEEDS
PENNSYLVANIA TO WIN IN 2020, BUT
REPUBLICANS ARE LOSING GROUND,
DROPPING THREE CONGRESSIONAL
SEATS AND 16 IN THE STATE
LEGISLATURE SINCE TRUMP’S
ELECTION.
ELECTION. WHILE A NEW SURVEY SHOWS TRUMP
LOSING PENNSYLVANIA TO EVERY
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE, IN SOME
CASES BY DOUBLE DIGITS.
AND TODAY ANOTHER TEST IN THE
INDUSTRIAL MIDWEST, A SPECIAL
ELECTION IN A DISTRICT THAT WENT
FOR TRUMP BY SIX POINTS, THEN
SWUNG TOWARDS DEMOCRATS LAST
YEAR.
YEAR. REPUBLICANS HOPE TO KEEP THE
SEAT WITH A FIRST GENERATION
AMERICAN WHO EMPHASIZES HIS
BACKGROUND AND JOBS.
>> THIS IS WHAT I’VE DONE AS A
BUSINESS CEO ALL MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: WHILE DEMOCRATS RUN
A MODERATE, A LONG-TIME NAVY
OFFICER IN THE BUSH
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. >> WE WILL FALTER IF WE DON’T
START WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE.
>> Reporter: BOTH CANDIDATES ARE
TRYING TO NATIONALIZE THE RACE
WHILE PERSON ADS LINK THE
DEMOCRATS TO ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ.
OCASIO-CORTEZ. A BATTLE FOR THOSE SWING VOTERS
WHO WILL MAKE OR BREAK THE VOLT
FOR TRUM
FOR TRUM -- VOTE FOR TRUMP NEXT YEAR.
>> JOSH, TELL US WHAT ISSUES ARE
IMPORTANT TO THEM AND HOW
CONNECTED ARE THEY TO IDENTITY
POLITICS?
POLITICS? >> WELL, MIKA, CLEARLY HEALTH
CARE, EDUCATION AT THE TOP OF
THE LIST OF ISSUES THAT HAVE
BEEN DOMINATING THIS RACE.
A LOT OF THE RACES WE’RE SEEING
ON THE GROUND.
THE DEMOCRAT HERE, PAM IOVINO
CLEARLY AWARE THAT WHILE TRUMP
SUPPORT MAY BE ERODING IN THE
SUBURBS, HE DOES HAVE A LOT OF
SUPPORT THAT DEMOCRATS CAN’T
AENNATE.AEN
AENNATE.AEN ALIENATE
ALIENATE ALIENATE.
ALIENATE. YOU SEE HER TRYING TO DISTANCE
HERSELF AND RUNNING ON THE FACT
THAT SHE WAS A GEORGE W. BUSH
APPOINTEE SAYING CLEARLY I’M NOT
THAT KIND OF DEMOCRAT.
I THINK THERE ARE LESSONS HERE,
PARTICULARLY AS THE REPUBLICAN
IN THE RACE SAYS THAT THE BRAND
OF DEMOCRATS IN 2019 IS
SOCIALISM, THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A
PRIMARY THAT’S GOING TO BE THIS
LONG ON THE NATIONAL STAGE AND
CLEARLY THE ENERGY IN THE
DEMOCRATIC BASE PRETTY FAR TO
THE LEFT, IT’S A GREEN NEW DEAL,
THOSE KIND OF ISSUES AND MATING
THE
THE -- AND I MITTIMATEING THE PRIMA
IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD TO
PIVOT BACK TO THE CENTER WHEN IT
COMES TO WINNING BACK SOME OF
THOSE CENTRIST, MODERATE VOTERS
WHO ARE GOING TO BE SO
INFLUENTIAL IN PICKING THE NEXT
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> WHERE DOES HEALTH CARE COME
DOWN IN THIS?
ARE THEY TUNED INTO THIS RENEWED
ISSUE, RENEWED BY THE PRESIDENT?
>> CERTAINLY.
>> CERTAINLY. THEY’RE VERY FOCUSED ON IT.
SOME OF IT IS MORE ON A
PAROCHIAL LEVEL, LOCAL BATTLES
BETWEEN HEALTH CARE AND
NONPROFITS, HOW DOES THIS PLAY
OUT IN MY COMMUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT POLICIES
AROUND MEDICAID AND HOW SOME OF
THE HEALTH CARE POLICIES ARE
BEING ROLLED OUT.
CERTAINLY HEALTH CARE THE MOST
FREQUENT ISSUE VOTERS IN THIS