Saccone Gets A Second Chance, But Faces Opposition Both In And Outside Party

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- It's not often in politics you get a second chance, but that's exactly what Republican Pa. Rep. Rick Saccone has.

Nine weeks after losing by just three-tenths of one percent to Democrat Conor Lamb in the old 18th congressional district, Saccone is back running in the new 14th district in Washington, Westmoreland, Greene and Fayette counties.

He says it's a better fit.

"All these people know me," he told KDKA political editor Jon Delano. "I'm around here all the time. This is the district basically I grew up in. I've served in the legislature so, happy to be out here."

But it's hardly a done deal.

Fellow Republican Pa. Sen. Guy Reschenthaler wants the GOP nomination as well, saying Saccone should have beaten Lamb.

"He embarrassed everybody in southwestern Pennsylvania with the last campaign," says Reschenthaler. "He not only lost. We squandered $11 million in that race."

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Supported by some Republican leaders, Reschenthaler raised more money than Saccone and pumped it into TV ads.

And former U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, who resigned in disgrace, has pumped $200,000 into a SuperPAC, running ads praising Reschenthaler and attacking Saccone.

Lisa Washington's Report:

Four Democrats are also in the running: former Ford executive Bibiana Boerio, brain researcher Tom Prigg, psychologist Adam Sedlock and physician Bob Solomon.

Each hopes to pull a Conor Lamb upset in the fall.