Marine vet opens crushing lead over Republican one day before election

Trump has put his weakened political clout on the line in the Pennsylvania special election, but the most recent poll shows Democratic candidate Conor Lamb is set to crush his Trump-backed opponent.

After weeks of closing the gap with Pennsylvania Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone, Lamb has taken a commanding lead just a day before the special election on Tuesday. According to the Monmouth University poll, Lamb leads Saccone by a margin as large as 51 to 44 percent, depending on the turnout model.

If voter turnout is similar to those in other special elections this past year, Lamb’s lead is 51-45, two points higher than in last month’s Monmouth poll.

What’s even more amazing about this poll is that half of it was taken over the course of a weekend during which Trump held a desperate last-minute campaign event for Saccone, while former Trump supporters packed a Conor Lamb rally.

Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District represents a stunning reversal of fortune for Trump, who won the district by 20 points in 2016. And it’s a story that’s being repeated over and over again, as Democrats flip districts that were won by Trump or post huge gains in narrow defeats.

Whatever the result Tuesday, Trump and the Republicans know that the blue wave is coming. And this poll is a strong indication that it’s coming early for Rick Saccone.