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Brief
The Lead
In a new ad, a progressive super PAC is going on the attack against Republican Frank Scavo for anti-Muslim social media posts
(Screenshot of American Bridge ad)
American Bridge, a national super PAC, is hoping to bring out voters for in next Tuesday’s special election in Lackawanna County’s 114th House District with a digital ad attacking what it says are Republican candidate Frank Scavo’s bigoted social media posts.
“Pennsylvania voters want leaders who will focus on improving their lives, not spending their time posting racist content on social media,” American Bridge spokesperson Zach Hudson said in a statement. “Frank Scavo’s racist agenda doesn’t belong in the Pennsylvania General Assembly and we’re confident voters will agree this Tuesday.”
Scavo, a local businessman and school board member in Old Forge, Pa., shared posts that “portrayed Muslims as terrorists, pedophiles or rapists” according to the Scranton Times-Tribune. He also shared anti-Muslim scaremongering and fake Clinton conspiracy theories as reported by the Capital-Star.
Scavo apologized to the Times-Tribune of Scranton for the posts. His fellow Old Forge School District school board members voted him off as president this week.
Speaking to the Intercept this week, Scavo said they “they pale in comparison to what Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar states.”
Referring to himself, he added: “Did this guy make some dumbass Facebook posts? Absolutely. But what’s the end result gonna be? Can we move forward? Or are we just gonna be stuck with inferior representation at $88,000 a year?”
Scavo is running against Democrat Bridget Malloy Kosierowski, a registered nurse with union backing who supports raising the minimum wage. Both candidates agree on the need to reduce property taxes, while Scavo has also tried to tie himself to former Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich by opposing abortion.
Kavulich, a Democrat who opposed abortion rights, passed away last October too close to the election to have his name taken off the ballot.
The suburban Scranton district has been in Democratic hands since 2000, but voted for Trump in 2016. Up ballot Democrats still the seat handily in 2018.
The election is next Tuesday, March 12.
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