BREAKING: PA-6: Li Switches Elections

Written by Nick Field, Managing Editor

You don’t see this everyday.

Lindy Li, a 25 year-old Democrat, has switched races. In June, she announced that she would run in the 7th district. Now, Li says she is running in the 6th district contest instead.

You’d be forgiven for missing the change as there wasn’t any grand announcement.

In a fundraising email sent out on Wednesday (the fourth quarter ends on Thursday), Li writes that “we have a real opportunity to win against a vulnerable, first-term Congressman.”

Congressman Pat Meehan of PA-7 is in the midst of his third term while Congressman Ryan Costello of PA-6 is in his first. This is the only indication that a change was made.

GOP consultant Christopher Nicholas seems to have been the first person to notice:

Per her own email update seems @lindyli is switching her Democratic congressional race from Pa-7 to Pa-6 vs. @RyanACostello #papolitics — Christopher Nicholas (@Eagle63) December 30, 2015

In light of this, PoliticsPA reached out to the candidate.

“I am running in PA-6, where I grew up and where my family and I have lived for 15 years,” she stated. “We had wanted to run in PA-6 from the very start.”

According to a June report from Jonathan Tamari of the Inquirer, Li did in fact originally choose the 6th district but “decided on the seventh after talks with party leaders”. At Pennsylvania Society, the candidate and her campaign consultant casually discussed the PA-6 contest.

At this moment, Google searches and the campaign’s own website still identify Li as running in PA-7.

With this move, the PA-7 Democratic primary is now between 2014 nominee Mary Ellen Balchunis and pastor Bill Golderer. Meanwhile, Li will now face former Army Aviator Mike Parrish.

Last week, Nathan Gonzalez of Roll Call reported that the DCCC is looking for an alternative to Parrish. In November, Tamari mentioned that the DCCC pushed Golderer to run in PA-7. Couple that with his previous report that Li initially chose the 7th on the advice of party leaders and it looks like the Democratic establishment is playing musical chairs in Southeast PA.

December 30th, 2015 | Posted in Congress, Front Page Stories, Top Stories | 48 Comments