House Speaker Paul Ryan stumps for Smucker in Lancaster County

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R- Wisconsin) was in Lancaster County Thursday campaigning on behalf of state Sen. Lloyd Smucker (R- Lancaster), who is hoping to replace retiring Congressman Joe Pitts in the 16^th district.

Speaking at Wenger Feeds in Rheems, Ryan told a crowd of about 80 people he’s worried about the level of poverty in America, wants to roll back red tape to promote job growth, and simplify the tax code.

“We need people who are workhorses in Congress,” says Ryan. “We need people with proven track records, who are principled, who know how to represent hard-working taxpayers and that’s Lloyd Smucker.”

Smucker has served two terms in the state Senate. He’s running against against Democrat Christina Hartman and Libertarian Shawn House. The 16^th district covers most of Lancaster County as well as parts of Berks and Chester counties. It’s been a longtime conservative stronghold, but the seat is open for the first time in more than two decades due to Pitts’ retirement.

Smucker called Wenger Feeds a perfect example of the American Dream.

“Today, a lot of people believe that dream is not available to them,” says Smucker. “We have to change that. I am extremely excited to have the potential opportunity to work in a Congress under Speaker Ryan.”

About 6 protesters stood alongside the road outside the event, urging Smucker and Ryan to reject the racist rhetoric of GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump. Curtis Jantzi of Lancaster shouted at Ryan as his motorcade left.

“A lot of Republicans seem to act like Trump is coming out of nowhere. This has been developing for decades,” says Jantzi. “The stuff he says about Mexicans, Latinos, and women is so cruel–but it’s not foreign to the GOP.”

The Democratic National Committee has targeted Pennsylvania’s 16th district as one it believes could potentially flip. Ryan says he’s not concerned about that, nor the prospect of Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric turning off conservatives and hurting down-ballot races, like this one.

“I feel very good about Lloyd,” says Ryan. “And I feel very good about where we are.”

Franklin and Marshall College pollster Terry Madonna says he stopped polling on congressional races a while ago–because they’re rarely competitive, thanks to extensive gerrymandering.

Yet he expects this race will probably be a safe bet for Smucker.

“[The district] is likely to be won by a Republican,” says Madonna. “But could you rule out something weird happening, in one of the weirdest elections in modern history? No.”

Smucker, Hartman, and House are scheduled to debate Monday, October 10 at 7pm at Penn Cinema in Lititz.