Citing unity, Lamb and Houlahan endorse Biden for president

Two more of Pennsylvania’s Democratic US representatives have endorsed Joe Biden for president.

Congressman Conor Lamb and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan are the fifth and sixth members from the commonwealth’s delegation to support the former vice president.

Houlahan and Lamb’s victories last year flipped both their districts from Republican. And in their endorsements, both seemed to have their moderate bases in mind.

Houlahan, of Chester County, said she believes in “pragmatic solutions that help working families,” adding that she thinks Pennsylvania is not “red or blue but a purple place which our next president needs to carry to win.”

Lamb, who represents Pittsburgh’s suburbs, said the next president “must attempt to unify this country.”

Franklin and Marshall College pollster Terry Madonna said taken alone, the endorsements might not mean much. But he noted, they’re part of a pattern of Pennsylvania affection for Biden.

“I mean, he spent an enormous amount of time, in his 36 years in the Senate, traveling in the state, meeting with politicians,” Madonna said.

He also said that besides having been born in Scranton, Biden’s adopted home state of Delaware shares Pennsylvania’s biggest media market.

“When there was something going on [that was] important, Biden was covered by Philadelphia television, which includes not just the city, the suburbs, but reaches up into the Lehigh Valley,” Madonna said.

Three other Democratic Pennsylvania members of the House have already endorsed Biden— Matt Cartwright of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region, and Brendan Boyle and Dwight Evans of Philadelphia.

Democratic US Senator Bob Casey, of Scranton, is also backing the former VP.

Endorsements have come from elsewhere, too. After briefly appearing to consider endorsing Minnesota US Senator Amy Klobuchar for president, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell threw his support behind Biden.

Just two Pennsylvania politicians have backed other candidates so far. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has announced support for Massachusetts US Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Michael Nutter, a former Philadelphia mayor, is campaigning alongside former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Three congressional Democrats—Madeleine Dean, Mary Gay Scanlon and Susan Wild—haven’t announced endorsements yet.