Western Pa. GOP focuses ire on Pat Toomey, as county party fault lines mirror national battle for control of the Republican Party – By Deb Erdley (Trib Live) / Feb 16 2021
The border separating Allegheny County from the surrounding metro area is beginning to look more like the fault lines shaking a Republican Party trying to come to terms with the aftermath of a second impeachment trial of former President Trump.
County GOP chairs in Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette, Lawrence, York and a number of other counties that supported Trump last year doubled down on their support for the former president with censure votes against U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey after the Lehigh Valley Republican voted to convict Trump.
Allegheny County GOP Chair Sam DeMarco, however, would like to put the whole episode behind them.
Toomey was among seven Senate Republicans who crossed party lines last weekend in an attempt to convict Trump of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ultimately, the 57-43 vote for conviction fell 10 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed.
