, Columnist
How Republicans Could Lose Twice in Pennsylvania
Trump as presidential nominee upends what should have been a straightforward Senate re-election bid.
Senator Toomey has an unexpected challenge.
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Senator Pat Toomey should be coasting to another term in Pennsylvania, which rarely throws out an incumbent. The state, which has a sizable population of older voters, likes its politicians familiar, its funnel cakes deep-fried and its coffee burnt. Only once in 40 years has a governor failed to win re-election.
But this could be an out-of-character year. Toomey's Democratic challenger, Katie McGinty, is a first-time national candidate in a swing state, yet polls show her consistently ahead of the Republican incumbent.