ERIE, Pa. — Schmoozing with Democratic foot soldiers here in the ballroom of the historic Maennerchor Plaza on Wednesday evening, U.S. Senate candidates John Fetterman and Conor Lamb hoped to tap into the same energy — one final time before next Tuesday’s election — that’s turned into a mantra for longtime party stalwarts: If you win Erie, you win Pennsylvania.

It worked for Joe Biden in 2020, and in what Democrats consider to be the swingiest county of all the swing counties, Mr. Fetterman and Mr. Lamb gave their final pitches to voters and party leaders on why they should be trusted to win one of the country’s most important Senate seats this November.

For Erie Democrats, they were more than happy to talk about the slam dunk in the room: state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the lone candidate for Pennsylvania governor who brought along his preferred choice for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Austin Davis, for a sweep across the swing county on Wednesday.

But they were a little more hesitant to weigh in on the marquee matchup between Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta for their party’s Senate nomination — faithfully adhering to the principle of unifying behind the eventual winner while burning no bridges in the intraparty affair.

Mr. Fetterman, the front-runner in the race, took the stage in front of almost 300 party leaders and members and thanked them for putting in the work to elect Democrats. He reiterated his desire to run a positive campaign and said, “There ain’t a bad choice up here,” likely referring to Mr. Lamb. Mr. Kenyatta did not attend the dinner.

Erie rose to the occasion in the election of 2020, Mr. Fetterman said, and has rightfully taken its spot as the “quintessential Pennsylvania county.”

“The leadership you have shown — and will show — will be critical in turning this seat blue,” Mr. Fetterman said, remarking that whoever prevails in the primary must be the person to go to D.C. and partner with sitting Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.

Mr. Lamb, who has trailed in the polls but whose supporters say the rankings don’t tell the full story, touted his wins in conservative-leaning electoral territory and said that in this swing county, voters should “not forget what made us successful.”

Success comes from trying to appeal to every voter in Pennsylvania who’s struggling with rising costs, for example, and are angry, Mr. Lamb said. Those people haven’t all converted to become Trump Republicans, he added.

“What it took for us to get to this point was having the biggest possible tent that we could have — by looking out and finding every single vote that we could find: Democrats, independents, moderate Republicans, anyone we can get,” Mr. Lamb said. “That is how we got to this point where we can sustain a majority.”

Party leaders in Erie have spent plenty of time with both Mr. Lamb and Mr. Fetterman.

Jim Wertz, chairman of the Democratic Party here, said any Democrat who prevails in the Senate primary will be a superior choice to the Republican alternative. Running in that primary are doctor Mehmet Oz, former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick, conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, former U.S. ambassador Carla Sands and businessman Jeff Bartos, among others.

But it’s not just about the Senate, Democrats here stress; they’re touting down-ballot candidates, too, like the eventual challenger to U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler. They cite numbers — including Democratic margins in statewide judicial races in recent years — as a reason to be optimistic about the party’s strength here.

Circling the room Wednesday night was state Rep. Bob Merski, who — like the other two Erie-area state representatives — supports Mr. Lamb for Senate. He said Democrats can win Erie on “bread and butter issues” like jobs, adding that he backs Mr. Lamb because he’s already been to Washington, has built relationships there and has the right track record as a former Marine and federal prosecutor.

But whoever the nominee is, Mr. Merski said, “we’ll be supporting them in the fall.” Asked about Mr. Fetterman’s opponents warning that he may struggle in a general election, Mr. Merski said he thinks any nominee can beat a Republican this fall.

Mr. Lamb said Democrats will face one of two “out-of-state millionaires” who “have no grasp of what the average person in our state is going through,” referring to Mr. Oz and Mr. McCormick, who have emerged as front-runners in recent polling alongside Ms. Barnette.

Mr. Fetterman, for the second day in a row, called Mr. Oz a “weirdo celebrity TV doctor.”

Earlier in the day at the Democratic Party’s new joint campaign office, Erie Mayor Joe Schember said he’s leaning toward Mr. Fetterman in the race. He said he’s gotten to know Mr. Fetterman over the years, saying the lieutenant governor “speaks from the heart.”

“He’s not afraid to say things that may upset somebody,” Mr. Schember said, adding that he’d have no problem if Mr. Lamb wins next week.

Mr. Shapiro is striking the right tone with Erie Democrats, Mr. Schember said, by leaning into the argument that the party will protect Pennsylvanians’ freedom.

Mr. Shapiro, talking to voters and leaders earlier in the day, said that the Republican candidates for governor are more focused on taking away freedoms than coming up with real plans on how to create safer communities and better schools.

“And it starts with trying to take away the freedom of the women of Pennsylvania to make decisions over their own bodies,” Mr. Shapiro said, referencing the Supreme Court’s draft majority opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

The GOP front-runners for governor — state Sen. Doug Mastriano, former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain and businessman Dave White — have said they would sign legislation restricting abortion.

Mr. Shapiro vowed to veto such legislation if elected.

Mr. Davis, D-McKeesport, framed the governor’s race, too, as a fight for freedoms. He touted his upbringing in McKeesport, which he likened to Erie.

“We can’t win alone. We need Democrats to turn out on May 17 to send a message that Democrats are organized … and ready to win come November,” Mr. Davis said.

State Rep. Ryan Bizzarro said in a challenging year for Democrats, having Mr. Shapiro at the top of the ticket brings an “element of excitement.” He said Democrats need to be focused on voters here because they represent what most Pennsylvanians feel.

Mr. Bizzarro, who endorsed Mr. Lamb when he launched his campaign last August, said Mr. Lamb can win the general election and is “tested and proven.” Mr. Lamb has beat Trump-backed candidates three times, Mr. Bizzarro said, and can beat any Trump surrogate this November.

Asked about polls that have shown Mr. Lamb trailing Mr. Fetterman by a large margin, Mr. Bizzarro said that’s not what he’s seeing from data on the ground. Door-knocking doesn’t reflect what the polls are indicating, he said.

Whoever the nominee is, Mr. Bizzarro added, will be stronger than the Republican candidate.

Julian Routh: jrouth@post-gazette.com; Twitter@julianrouth

First Published: May 12, 2022, 3:12 a.m.