Tight race: Deluzio and Shaffer battle for Pa.’s 17th District

Election Day is five weeks away and one of the closest congressional races in the country is happening right here in Western Pennsylvania.

Democrat Chris Deluzio and Republican Jeremy Shaffer are competing to fill the 17th District seat left open when Rep. Conor Lamb ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate. The district makes up all of Beaver County and part of Allegheny County.

Deluzio, a Navy veteran and attorney, is pro-abortion rights. Shaffer, an engineer and business owner, is anti-abortion.

Both tell Channel 11 the issue they hear about most is the economy.

“Everyone is suffering with prices going up. Cost of living is ridiculous. It doesn’t have to be this way,” Shaffer said.

“I hear a lot about people worried about the cost of living, wanting to bring back supply chains and make more stuff here,” Deluzio said.

The candidates both spoke about political ads.

“There’s a lot of outside money being spent to come at me and beat me. But, frankly, I think the corporate money that is funding those ads are worried about people pushing back and exercising those voices and their power,” Deluzio said.

“It’s really sad that politics has devolved into this. This is why I like to go out and talk to the people myself. I watch the ads, especially the ones against me, and they are just full of lies,” Shaffer said.

As for what both would say to undecided voters?

“Our country is tearing itself apart right now. I have been proven as a bipartisan problem solver, an engineer. I will work hard. I will put this country before my own party,” Shaffer said.

“Look, I’m a guy who grew up here in Western Pennsylvania. I served my country in Iraq, at sea. I’ve been committed to this democracy of ours. I’m committing to fighting for our common good to have prosperity, our dignity and our rights protected,” Deluzio said.

For more information on voter registration or applying for an absentee ballot, visit https://www.vote.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx.

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