Voter Turnout Efforts Get Focus As PA Campaigns Reach Home Stretch
by Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The race for U.S. Senate remains neck-and-neck in Pennsylvania, with both candidates still campaigning feverishly.
Incumbent Republican Pat Toomey spent the day in Latrobe, Camp Hill, and Lancaster.
Democratic challenger Katie McGinty was in Pittsburgh and had ten elected officials make her case in Philadelphia.
As the locations suggest, the race is as much about cities vs. suburbs as it is Democrat versus Republican, a point Mayor Jim Kenney made in appraising Toomey.
"Here in Philadelphia, he is a moderate, the reasonable conservative, out west and in the northern T, the center of the state, Toomey is a rabid tea party zealot," said Kenney.
That's why turn-out in Philadelphia is the focus of intense effort.
Democratic chairman Bob Brady sounds confident. He predicts the Democratic ticket will win Philadelphia by 450,000 votes; more than enough to win the state.
"We're really, really confident. I had all the ward leaders in today and they're fired up and ready to go," said Brady.
But that assumes a turn-out of close to 800,000. So, while making a pitch for McGinty, local elected leaders, including state representatives Art Haywood and Brian Sims, had requests.
"I'm asking you to bring two people to the polls," said Haywood.
"You need to, tonight, sit down and make a plan for election day," said Sims.
Philadelphia has also been a rallying point for some Trump supporters, who threatened to send so-called "poll watchers" to the city and use other means to discourage voters.
