Good Monday Morning, Fellow Seekers.

So here's the saddest/funniest thing about the massive blitz of cash, campaigning and kvetching that's going into the fight for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District:

National Democrats and Republicans have spent something on the order of $10 million on a district that, U.S. Supreme Court willing and the creek don't rise, won't even exist in November (The seat has been in Republican hands since 2003 and opened up with the resignation of now former-U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy last year.).

Yup.

Thanks to that redrawing of the state's Congressional Districts back in January, a fight that's now before both a three-judge federal panel and the U.S. Supreme Court (which could rule any second now. We sweaaaarrrrrr ....) the 18th District will blink out of existence for the spring primary.

And Democrat Conor Lamb and Republican Rick Saccone will each live in new districts, where, it's entirely possible, they could live to fight another day like some political version of The Walking Dead.

So why all the sturm and especially the drang?

Here's five things to think about as we head into the final 24 hours before the polls open on Tuesday morning:

1. This race is a pricey exercise in Republican face-saving: If Republicans lose on Tuesday, and polls suggest that the contest is now too close to call, it would mark the third, embarrassing loss in a row for President Donald Trump. Trump has invested significant political capital in the race, campaigning in suburban Pittsburgh on Saturday night, where he said it was critical that Republicans to elect Saccone (Donald Trump Jr. campaigns with Saccone today.). The White House has already been handed losses in Virginia last November (Ed Gillespie) and Alabama (Roy Moore) in December. So if Trump appears to be an albatross around the GOP's neck here, Republican candidates may have second thoughts about tying themselves too closely to the president (And, yes, Scott Wagner, we do mean you.). In an endorsement editorial Sunday, by the way, The Post-Gazette warned a Democratic win would embolden them on impeachment.

2. It's a test-drive for Republican and Democratic campaign themes heading into the fall: Campaigns are all about narratives. And the race for the 18th District will be the first chance for Republicans to see whether their efforts to tout the tax cuts passed last year will resonate with voters in bellwether states. They'll also get a chance to see if warnings about a Nancy Pelosi speakership will be enough to energize the base ahead of the midterms. Democrats, meanwhile, will get a chance to see whether they've found a winning national formula to win back labor and working-class voters who defected to Trump in 2016. In Lamb, a former federal prosecutor who is (sorta) pro-life; absolutely pro-gun and pro-tariff, they've found a credible candidate. If he wins, the question will become whether that kind of branding translates to other races or if it's specific to this contest. As noted above, the polls are in the margin, meaning it's anyone's ballgame, and, that the two candidates are fighting for a narrow swath of undecided voters. There's a reason the late Tip O'Neill observed that all politics is local.

3. Did we mention the money? Outside money has been pouring into the district. Republicans have spent something like $9 million to prop up Saccone, 60, a three-term state lawmaker, who has had trouble raising money on his own. National Democrats, meanwhile, have spent about $800,000 on Lamb. Lamb, meanwhile, has thumped Saccone in head-to-head fundraising, taking in about $3.3 million during the first two months of the year, compared to Saccone's $703,000.

4. The air wars: The attack ads, as you might imagine, have been running hot and heavy, with both candidates blanketing the airwaves. If you don't live in the district, here's a sampling of what you've been missing (or not).

First up: A Republican ad hitting Lamb:

And here's one hitting

Saccone

:

5. In the end, it's an academic exercise: As we noted above, the 18th, as we know it now, will likely not exist after Tuesday. As FiveThirtyEight notes: "If Saccone wins on Tuesday, he has said that he would seek re-election in the 14th, but if Lamb wins, he is expected to go after the 17th, even though he would have to face incumbent Republican Rep. Keith Rothfus there. Of course, the loser could decide to take a second bite of the apple in either the 14th or the 17th as well. After all these long hours of campaigning and millions of dollars spent, it's entirely possible that, at the beginning of 2019, Conor Lamb and Rick Saccone will both be members of Congress."

Ahhh ... politics.

The rest of the day's news starts now:

Facing sex assault allegations and a restraining order from his accuser (a fellow legislator), state Rep. Nick Miccarelli, R-Delaware, will be a no-show when the state House reconvenes this Monday morning.

All three Republican gubernatorial candidates, following Donald Trump's lead, will not release their tax returns. That news became public at this month's PennLive/CBS21 debate. The AP has the story.

In the event of a budget stand-off, Gov. Tom Wolf is seeking a gift-ban for all elected officials and a pay suspension for himself, The Associated Press reports (Wolf doesn't take a salary - punchline).

If enacted, Philly Mayor Jim Kenney's budget would boost city spending by $600 million over three years, The Inquirer reports.

WESA-FM looks at possible voter turnout in Tuesday's special election in the 18th District.

Here's a harbinger of spring in your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day:

WHYY-FM looks at how Philly became cleaner and safer - and also more unequal.

What Goes On.

The House and Senate each reconvene at 1 p.m. today after a month of budget hearings.

WolfWatch

Gov. Tom Wolf heads to Pittsburgh today to "[announce] a major new ethics reform initiative." We're guessing it's that gift-ban/no-pay thing above.

What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition).

Here's how you can tell the Legislature is really back in session. You won't be able to swing a dead cat today without hitting a lawmaker throwing a fund-raiser.

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Joanna McClinton

8 a.m.: Breakfast for Rep. Dawn Keefer

9:30 a.m.: Snack-break with Rep. Jim Cox

11 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Rob Kauffman

11 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Karen Boback

11:30 a.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Joe Markosek (who's retiring. Whaat?)

12 p.m.: Luncheon for Rep. Jake Wheatley

4:30 pm.: Reception for Rep. Tim Hennessey

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Greg Rothman

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Ed Gainey

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Austin Davis

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Marty Flynn (keep your head low, approach him in a zig-zag pattern)

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Brian Ellis

5:30 p.m.: Reception for Rep. Stan Saylor (It's about jobs, jobs, jobs)

Ride the circuit, give at the max, and you'll part with a truly nauseating $20,550 today.

Heavy Rotation.

Here's a classic from New Order to get the working week started:

And now you're up to date.