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Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) announced Friday that he'll join the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania currently held by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who plans to retire.
Why it matters: The centrist Lamb, 37, joins a crowded field in a state that's critical for Democrats' chances of retaining control of the Senate.
- Lamb first rose to prominence when he narrowly won a 2018 House special election in a Pittsburgh-area seat that Donald Trump carried by nearly 20 points in 2016.
- Lamb has been critical of the left wing of the Democratic Party in the past, and he's earned praise from President Biden, who says the young congressman reminds him of his late son Beau.
State of play: Lamb will run against Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Montgomery County Commissioner Val Arkoosh and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta in the Democratic primary.
What he's saying: "We have to build on our majority and tell the truth about what's really going on in people's lives," Lamb said in a video.
- "We need to raise pay for working people, protect your retirement and make sure you have health care when you need it," he added. "All of these issues are on the line next year. And our opponents will lie about them, just like they lie about elections.”