GOP calls for investigation in Pennsylvania special election

Pennsylvania Republicans are demanding an investigation into last week’s special congressional election, claiming evidence of “irregularities.” Joel Frank, general counsel for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, wrote in a letter dated Friday that the election results couldn’t be trusted until after a full review. “In the interest of transparency and nonpartisanship, we ask that you consider assigning this task to a Commonwealth elections official capable of conducting an impartial investigation in light of the positions you've taken on ongoing redistricting litigation,” Frank wrote to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Last week, Democrat Conor Lamb claimed victory over Republican Rick Saccone in the special election for Pennsylvania’s 18th District. Election officials are still counting the hundreds of provisional and military ballots, and Saccone dispatched some of his supporters to oversee the tabulation in the razor-thin race. The latest vote totals show Lamb ahead by roughly 600 votes after nearly 230,000 votes counted. “It’s not over yet,” Saccone told his supporters over the weekend. “We’re going to fight all the way to the end.” If the final vote spread remains under half a percentage point, the GOP could ask for a recount, a likely outcome in light of Frank’s questions about the election’s legitimacy.