Republican officials refuse to participate in smear strategy

When former President Trump turned his attacks toward Haitian-Pennsylvanians who have made the town of Charleroi home, Republican State Senator Camera Bartolotta quickly spoke up. She told NBC News,

“I know the story of my neighborhood town, and I know the plight that a lot of these people escaped. I know what the kids are going through,” she said. “To see how the issue was being twisted and these individuals were being maligned and threatened and completely misunderstood, I felt it necessary [to speak out], because I represent everyone in my district, even those people who are there on work visas and are doing their best to raise their families.”

Back in Springfield, Republican Mayor Rob Rue said, “We’ve seen 8,500 jobs come here over the last 10 years. We’re seeing houses come online over the next five years, about 2,000 houses. Those are things to brag on for a city like ours and those are things we need to be talking about.”

These two elected officials are putting their hometowns over their party leadership’s smear strategy.