Several Democrats are already running to face Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Pat Meehan in a suburban Philadelphia seat that swung from 50-49 Romney to 49-47 Clinton, but it’s unclear if any of them are capable of running a strong campaign. This week state Sen. Daylin Leach expressed interest in joining the Democratic primary, and said he hoped to decide by the first week of June.
Leach ran for Congress in the neighboring 13th District in 2014. Leach raised a credible amount of money but ended up taking third place with 17 percent of the vote in the four-way primary, losing to eventual winner Brendan Boyle. However, Leach actually lives in Meehan’s 7th District, something that many of his current would-be primary rivals can’t say.
A campaign against Meehan will not be cheap, and Leach’s connections and fundraising experience could be a huge help. However, it’s worth noting that Leach hails from Montgomery County, which makes up a little less than 20 percent of the seat, rather than Delaware County, where a little more than half of the 7th’s residents live. Leach represents about 17 percent of the 7th Congressional District in the legislature, including a portion of Delaware County, but he’d almost certainly begin the campaign with relatively little name recognition.
Leach also has a reputation as an outspoken liberal and he hasn’t been remotely shy about picking fights with Trump, with him tweeting in February, “Hey @realDonaldTrump I oppose civil asset forfeiture too! Why don't you try to destroy my career you fascist, loofa-faced, shit-gibbon!” Leach’s very anti-Trump attitude could be a big asset in a primary and help him raise money from Trump hating donors nationwide. However, Meehan loves to portray himself as a moderate, and if he faces Leach, he may be able to win over swing voters by depicting the contest as a battle between a centrist and a loud liberal.