Turn on a television or radio in Pennsylvania and there’s a very good chance the first thing you see or hear will be an attack ad.
The state has become the battleground for the most expensive senate race in US history, as Republicans fight to retain their prized senate majority.
The Democratic candidate Katie McGinty has spent $80 million dollars taking the fight up to Republican incumbent Patrick Toomey, who has dropped more than $74 million on his reelection bid.
Despite the scale and cost of this unprecedented campaign, both candidates remain locked in a dead heat.
Senator Toomey has been widely mocked for being the only sitting Republican not to give a concrete opinion of his party’s presidential candidate.
“I’ve supported every Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan, without exception, but at this point I remain persuaded,” Senator Toomey told reporters earlier this month.
The fact that both parties are preparing to drop at least another $11 million a piece during the final days of this campaign, is an indication of exactly what is at stake for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
The Republicans currently enjoying a nine seat majority in the senate – 54 to the Democrats 45.
In this election cycle, 34 seats are being contested – 24 Republican, 10 Democratic.
In the event of a Hillary Clinton victory, the party would only need to flip four states to win control of the chamber.
A handful of votes in Indiana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Missouri, Nevada and Pennsylvania could determine the legislative agenda on Capitol Hill for the next four years, regardless of who wins the White House.
“You gotta earn it every time, it’s supposed to be hard, that’s American democracy."
Which is why candidates from both parties ere working the rope lines at the York Halloween Parade in Pennsylvania a little more diligently than in previous years.
“You always act like you’re gonna lose,” Republican Congressman Scott Perry told SBS News.
“You gotta earn it every time, it’s supposed to be hard, that’s American democracy.”
When asked if he thought Donald Trump’s candidacy had been “good or bad” for Pennsylvania, Congressman Perry said he didn’t think it had made a difference.
“Some people like him, some people don’t,” he said.
State senate candidate Joel Sears was more direct about Senator Toomey’s chances.
“That’s race is anybody’s call right now – it’s a coin flip,” the Republican told SBS News.
“If you live in the metropolitan areas Donald Trump has probably been a bad thing.
“If you live in the Pennsylvania ‘T’ (the nickname locals give the predominantly rural and Christian areas between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia because of the geographical shape it forms) he is probably a great thing.”
In an election where a handful of votes are likely to determine the outcome, the GOP is campaigning in ways it never has.
A super PAC has been setup targeting the state’s 35,000 eligible Amish voters.
While very few make it to the ballot box, 94 per cent of those who do vote Republican.
Pennsylvania is one of the most religious states in America, outside of the well-established Bible belt.
Here in ‘the T’, the streets are filled with pro-life, Christian Republicans.
On Sunday, York’s 2000-strong Grace Fellowship prayed for “wisdom on who to vote for” and “help for us to be responsible going to vote as Christians”.
The congregation is staging a national week of repentance in the lead up to election day, with evangelicals in all 50 US states, Washington DC and countries including China and the Solomon Islands, joining in 168 hours on continuous prayer.
"You certainly as a follower of Jesus can’t look at either of the candidates and say “that’s an example of a Christ follower’."
Reverend Michael Anthony has called on Mrs Clinton and Mr Trump to join his congregation and repent.
“America needs a bath,” he told SBS News, conceding it was a “tremendously difficult” decision for Christians voting on November 8.
“My personal opinion is that both candidates are fundamentally flawed in regard to character. Both of them.
“And it’s almost ‘which kind of character flaws would you rather live with – this one or that?'
“So what you’re left with, at the end of the day, is the platform of the party because you certainly as a follower of Jesus can’t look at either of the candidates and say “that’s an example of a Christ follower’."
Weary voters are now bracing for one final week of campaigning, as both parties move heaven and earth, desperate to unlock victory in the keystone state.
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Turn on a television or radio in Pennsylvania and there’s a very good chance the first thing you see or hear will be an attack ad.
The state has become the battleground for the most expensive Senate race in U.S. history, as Republicans fight to retain their prized Senate majority.
The Democratic candidate Katie McGinty has spent $80 million dollars taking the fight up to Republican incumbent Patrick Toomey, who has dropped more than $74 million on his reelection bid.
Despite the scale and cost of this unprecedented campaign, both candidates remain locked in a dead heat.
Toomey has been widely mocked for being the only sitting Republican not to give a concrete opinion of his party’s Presidential candidate.
“I’ve supported every Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan, without exception, but at this point I remain persuaded,” Senator Toomey told reporters earlier this month.
The fact that both parties are preparing to drop at least another $11 million a piece during the final days of this campaign, is an indication of exactly what is a stake for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
The Republicans currently enjoying a 9 seat majority in the Senate – 54 to the Democrats 45.
34 seats are being contested this election cycle – 24 republican, 10 democratic.
In the event of a Hillary Clinton victory, the party would only need to flip four states to win control of the chamber.
A handful of votes in Indiana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Missouri, Nevada and Pennsylvania could determine the legislative agenda on Capitol Hill for the next four years, regardless of who wins The White House.
Which is why candidates from both parties were working the rope lines at the York Halloween Parade in Pennsylvania a little more diligently than in previous years.
“You always act like you’re gonna lose,” Republican Congressman Scott Perry told SBS.
“You gotta earn it every time, it’s supposed to be hard, that’s American democracy.”
When asked if he thought Donald Trump’s candidacy had been “good or bad” for Pennsylvania, Congressman Perry said he didn’t think it had made a difference.
“Some people like him, some people don’t.”
State Senate candidate Joel Sears was more direct about Patrick Toomey’s chances.
“That’s race is anybody’s call right now – it’s a coin flip,” the republican told SBS.
“If you live in the metropolitan areas Donald Trump has probably been a bad thing.”
“If you live in the Pennsylvania ‘t’ (the nickname locals give the predominantly rural and Christian areas between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia because of the geographical shape it forms) he is probably a great thing.”
In an election where a handful of votes is likely to determine the outcome, the GOP is campaigning in ways it never has.
A super PAC has been setup targeting the state’s 35,000 eligible Amish voters.
While very few make it to the ballot box, 94% of those who do vote Republican.
Pennsylvania is one of the most religious states in America, outside of the well-establish bible belt.
Here, in ‘the t’, the streets are filled with pro-life, Christian, Republicans.
This Sunday, York’s 2,000-strong Grace Fellowship prayed for “wisdom on who to vote for” and “help for us to be responsible going to vote as Christians.”
The congregation is staging a national week of repentance in the lead up to election day, with evangelicals in all 50 U.S. states, Washington DC and countries including China and the Solomon Islands, joing in 168 hours on continuous prayer.
Reverend Michael Anthony has called on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to join his congregation and repent.
“America needs a bath,” he told SBS, conceding it was a “tremendously difficult” decision for Christians voting on November 8.
“My personal opinion is that both candidates are fundamentally flawed in regard to character.”
“Both of them.”
“And it’s almost ‘which kind of character flaws would you rather live with – this one or that?”
“So what you’re left with, at the end of the day, is the platform of the party because you certainly as a follower of Jesus can’t look at either of the candidates and say “that’s an example of a Christ follower’
Weary voters are now bracing for one final week of campaigning, as both parties move heaven and earth, desperate to unlock victory in The Keystone State.
