(CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan sought to explain Pennsylvania's special election outcome -- where a Democrat is poised to deliver a stunning upset to the GOP in a district Donald Trump handily won in 2016 -- as a race between "two conservatives."

Speaking to reporters at the weekly Republican leadership news conference Wednesday, Ryan defined Democrat Conor Lamb as a "pro-life, pro-gun, anti-Nancy Pelosi conservative" and noted that there wasn't a Democratic primary that would have pulled Lamb to the left.

While the Wisconsin Republican argued Republicans need to focus on their legislative track record in Congress and avoid being outraised, he still said he doubts this will become a trend in Republican-leaning districts because there wasn't a primary.

Lamb ran as a moderate eager to work across party lines. He said he supports abortion rights but personally opposes abortion -- a position that matches Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee. And he called for expanded background checks but opposed other new gun restrictions.

But he also campaigned on a pro-union platform. He toed the Democratic line on health care, aired advertisements opposing Ryan-backed reforms to Medicare and Social Security, and hammered the Republican tax bill, arguing it would balloon the deficit and lead to cuts to entitlement programs.

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