WASHINGTON—Republican Rick Saccone conceded the Pennsylvania special congressional election Wednesday, paving the way for Democrat Conor Lamb to join the U.S. House of Representatives next month. “Just got off the phone with my opponent, who congratulated me & graciously conceded last Tuesday’s election,” Lamb wrote on Twitter. “I congratulate Mr.

Illinois voters head to the polls Tuesday for one of the first congressional primary races of 2018 and a watershed moment for pro-life Democrats. Incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski faces challenger Marie Newman in the Democratic primary race for Illinois’ 3rd District, near Chicago. Lipinski co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Pro-life Caucus, and is one of only two pro-life Democrats in the caucus.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a Republican effort to block a new congressional map in Pennsylvania before Tuesday’s filing deadline for the May 15 primary. Republican leaders in the state asked the court to issue a temporary injunction against the map while the legal challenge played out. The high court ruling offered the second blow Monday to Republican hopes to stall the redistricting effort. Earlier in the day, a panel of federal judges threw out the challenge to the newly drawn map.

When a stranger says hi to you in Los Angeles, it’s safe to assume he’s either a homeless guy hustling for change, or he’s someone fresh out of the Midwest who hasn’t yet learned proper LA manners. But at a Californian-Italian bar in Santa Monica recently, strangers were greeting one another like long-lost friends. They smiled. They introduced themselves. They shook hands and hugged. And then they sat shoulder-to-shoulder, broke bread over spaghetti and beer-battered mushrooms, and castigated California liberals.

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.

Most news stories about the midterm elections focus on Republican weaknesses. President Donald Trump’s approval ratings are low, Republicans trail in the generic ballot, and enthusiasm among Democrats seems likely to boost their turnout. Despite these factors, there is one ray of sunshine for the GOP: the U.S. Senate. Both polling and historical analysis suggest Republicans could gain seats there even as the party generally suffers a downturn.

Several news outlets declared Democrat Conor Lamb the winner on Wednesday of this week’s Pennsylvania special election, but Republicans could force a recount. With 100 percent of precincts reporting and most absentee ballots counted, Lamb has a lead of 627 votes over Republican Rick Saccone. That places Lamb ahead 49.8 percent to Saccone’s 49.6 percent, which was good enough for The New York Times to declare the Democrat the winner.