Different Vets for Trump groups endorsed different decorated and wounded Afghanistan war veteran Republicans for the 8th Congressional District seat.
One backed Teddy Daniels; the other, Earl Granville.
Daniels and Granville are among six seeking the Republican nomination for the 8th Congressional District in the April 28 primary election. The others are Luzerne County Councilman Harry Haas of Kingston, former Hazleton Mayor Michael Marsicano of Hazle Twp.; former Export/Import Bank official Jim Bognet of Hazle Twp.; and bar/restaurant manager Mike Camissa of Hazleton.
So far, incumbent U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Moosic Democrat serving his fourth two-year term, has no primary opposition.
The Democratic and Republican winners face off in the Nov. 3 election.
The Vets for Trump backing Daniels appears larger and has a higher national profile.
In a Facebook video, co-founder Joshua Macias, a Navy veteran, praised Daniels as someone who understands veterans and “understands our president and has stood with him, as I have, since 2015.” The group claims more than 400,000 members. Its Facebook page has more than 134,000 followers.
Daniels said he’s honored to have the “real Vets for Trump” endorsement and noted its many Facebook followers.
In a statement posted on his group’s website, Mike Kelly, a retired Air Force sergeant who founded the Vets for Trump group that endorsed Granville, praised Granville for his resilience and community work, “despite losing his leg in war and his brother to the invisible scars of war.”
He said Granville “will stand side by side with (Trump’s) America First agenda and is committed to vote for our commander-in-chief, President Donald Trump in 2020.”
Kelly’s group’s Facebook page lists 282 followers but Kelly said the group has about 8,000 members.
In 2018, Kelly’s group endorsed Republicans in two local congressional races — Dan Meuser for the 9th Congressional District and John Chrin for the 8th. Meuser won, Chrin lost.
Kelly said he spoke with Macias about the conflicting endorsements, and they plan to coordinate next time to avoid a repeat.
Daniels portrayed his endorsement as more significant than Granville’s.
“Switching from a (Sen. John) McCain-loving non-Republican to a Republican at the last minute backed by the swamp, and (having) a small Vets for Trump … endorsement is not very good,” Daniels said in an email.
Granville, an unaffiliated voter for years, registered as a Republican on Nov. 20, about three weeks before announcing his candidacy, according to voter registration records. Last week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, endorsed Granville.
Matt Beynon, a spokesman for Granville’s campaign, declined to respond directly to Daniels’ criticism.
“Earl commends all fellow veterans for their service to our country,” Beynon said. “He has said from the very beginning he is not in this race to attack fellow Republicans. He’s in this race to defeat Matt Cartwright and kick Nancy Pelosi out of the Speaker’s chair.”
The 8th District, which includes all of Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne counties and parts of Luzerne and Monroe counties, has almost 46,000 veterans among its voting age population of more than 556,000, or about 8.3%, according to the 2018 U.S. Census American Community Survey. That ranks the 8th District eighth among the state’s 18 congressional districts in percentage of veteran population.
Attempts to reach Macias were unsuccessful.
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