Parnell’s allegations disrupt GOP bid to retain Pennsylvania Senate seat

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New Abuse Allegations Against Former President Trump Donald Trump Republicans Set To Sweep Virginia, Stunned Democrats On Gains In Upcoming Election Watch Live: GOP Senators Introduce New Infrastructure Proposal Sasse Chastised By The Nebraska Republican Party for the MORE impeachment vote (R-Pa.) is triggering panic among some Republicans as the party seeks to maintain its grip on one of the most competitive Senate seats in the country next year.

Since Trump endorsed Republican Sean Parnell’s campaign in the Pennsylvania Senate in September, the retired Army Ranger and author has faced a series of damaging headlines. One of his rivals for the GOP nomination has revealed that Parnell’s ex-wife has sought protection orders against him. Last month, a judge rejected Parnell’s request for a sweeping gag order that would have barred his wife and lawyer from discussing those protection orders.

Then on Monday, Parnell’s wife Laurie Snell charged him in court with physical and verbal abuse, alleging he had previously attempted to strangle her, accosted her verbally and punched their children, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer. Snell asks for primary custody of their children. The couple are currently separating custody.

This testimony deepened the concerns of some Republicans who have become increasingly suspicious of Parnell’s candidacy, fearing that the allegations against him will undermine their efforts to keep a coveted Senate seat in a field state. hotly contested battle.

“It’s the kind of thing that kills campaigns,” said a Republican consultant who has worked on Senate campaigns. “Forget Trump’s endorsement for a minute. I think we need to take a step back and ask ourselves if this is really the candidate we want to move forward with.

Parnell vigorously denied his wife’s claims. He and his lawyer are expected to take their case to court next week.

“We look forward to the opportunity to refute these hurtful and baseless allegations,” Parnell said in a statement Monday. “Let me say emphatically: I never raised my hand in anger against my wife or any of our three children. What happened today in court was not justice, and had no basis in fact or in truth. Next week I will have the opportunity to present the truth in court and I look forward to this opportunity.

Parnell’s campaign also rebuffed the idea that the protection orders his wife sought in 2017 and 2018 constitute evidence of wrongdoing. The first of these temporary protection orders ended with an agreement between Parnell and Snell. The second was rejected by a judge after a hearing.

Yet Parnell’s messy divorce and the ongoing custody battle have raised questions about his ability to compete. Jeff Bartos, a real estate developer who is also seeking nomination to the GOP Senate in Pennsylvania, has called Parnell “ineligible” and a super PAC supporting Bartos has already launched an ad campaign attacking Parnell.

At the same time, the controversies swirling around Parnell are expected to fuel Democrats ahead of the 2022 general election. Several leading Democrats are already running for Toomey’s seat, seeing it as one of their best opportunities to expand the senatorial majority of the party.

Democrats seeking their party’s Senate nomination include Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, Representative Conor Lamb, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Val Arkoosh and State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta.

Former Representative Ryan CostelloRyan Anthony CostellloRep. Brendan Boyle decides against the candidacy of the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Lieutenant of Pennsylvania. Governor is running for Senate Bottom Line MORE (R-Pa.), who has expressed interest in running for the Pennsylvania Senate but hasn’t jumped in, lambasted Parnell after his wife’s testimony was announced, the calling it “a candidate’s disaster” and saying it would be a liability for Republicans in the 2022 legislative elections.

“Let me state emphatically he would have lost the overall by 5 before that, even to clown Fetterman, but now it’s clear he would lose to a double-digit golden retriever,” Costello tweeted.

Parnell rose to prominence in conservative media circles after writing a memoir of his service in Afghanistan. He landed a speaker position at the 2020 Republican National Convention before narrowly losing an offer to topple Lamb, who he could face in next year’s general election.

He is closely linked to Trump and received early approval from former president’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. months before Trump himself stepped into the Senate race.

The concern of some Republicans is that Trump endorsed Parnell so early in the primary, propelling him to likely frontrunner status in an otherwise competitive nomination contest.

Primary polls were scarce, but a survey conducted in late October by Franklin and Marshall College showed Parnell to lead the GOP pack, albeit with only 11% support. The overwhelming majority of Republicans – 78% – remain undecided.

Still, that represents a slight dip for Parnell, who garnered 14% support in another Franklin and Marshall College poll conducted in August before Bartos revealed that Parnell’s wife had sought protection orders.

The stakes in the Pennsylvania Senate race are high for both sides. Republicans only need one Senate seat in 2022 to regain control of the upper house, and a defeat in Pennsylvania would make that goal harder to achieve. Democrats, meanwhile, scramble to bolster their slim Senate majority, eager to overthrow a seat in a state President BidenJoe BidenFive takeaways from a dark night for Democrats Youngkin wins Virginia governor’s race Michelle Wu elected Boston’s first female mayor PLUS wore last year, albeit narrowly.

The National Republican Senate Committee and its chairman, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Have pledged not to participate in the open primaries in 2022.

While Republicans have so far been largely satisfied with Trump’s list of supporters, some have worried about Parnell. A GOP agent expressed frustration that the former president weighed in on the race so early and suggested he should consider rescinding his approval in light of recent allegations.

“You have to know when to cut your losses,” the agent said. “Maybe now is the time for that.”

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