Democrats in Pennsylvania Senate Upset Took Inspiration from an Iowa Special Election Campaign
Lancaster Democrats enlisted phone banking help from county committees across Pennsylvania and launched a ground game that included “obsessively” tracking mail ballots and dispatching volunteers to retirement communities to follow up with voters, Sexton said.
She said Malone worked hard, meeting voters and attending a League of Women Voters forum that Parsons skipped. Libertarian Zachary Moore of Mount Joy was there too, and won 480 votes, almost exactly the margin by which Parsons lost, Sexton noted.
Sexton said Malone’s campaign spent about $215,000, an amount she estimates is tied with or slightly greater than Parsons’ spending. Campaign finance reports show money continued to flow to the candidates in the final 24 hours of the race.
Parsons’s campaign was supported by GOP activist Scott Presler, who helped turn out Amish voters in the 2024 general election. Presler, who has drawn criticism for his anti-Muslim language, rung early alarm bells about a possible Democratic victory, drawing the attention of billionaire megadonor Elon Musk, Lancaster Online reported this week.
Sexton said Musk’s post came too late to help Parsons’ fundraising. But it reinforced Malone’s message.
https://buckscountybeacon.com/2025/03/democrats-in-pennsylvania-senate-upset-took-inspiration-from-an-iowa-special-election-campaign/