Gateway director says Conor Lamb is 'not one of us' in political ad

Gateway School Director Mary Beth Cirucci said Democrats Conor Lamb and Nancy Pelosi are "out of touch" in a recent television ad published by a conservative super PAC.

"Four and a half years ago I lost my husband. Being a widow is tough. Raising two teenage sons by myself is even harder," Cirucci said in the 30-second ad. The ad first aired Feb. 21.

"That's why I really appreciated the middle-class tax cut. Conor Lamb and Nancy Pelosi called it 'crumbs.' Here's the truth, Mr. Lamb. When you're a single mom and everything falls on your shoulders, every dollar counts. Conor Lamb and Nancy Pelosi are out of touch. He's not one of us."

The ad was funded by the D.C.-based Congressional Leadership Fund. The super PAC has spent over $2 million in television advertising and opened two field offices to canvass voters ahead of the special congressional election between Lamb and Saccone. According to its website, CLF is currently supporting Republican candidates in 18 races across the country but a CLF spokesman said the super PAC currently supports candidates in 27 races.

Cirucci said CLF contacted her in early February to do the ad. Cirucci's LinkedIn profile shows she works as a committee member for the PA Republican State Committee's Senatorial District 45. She also works as a Constituent Outreach Specialist for State Representative Eli Evankovich.

Lamb, 33, of Mt. Lebanon, and Republican Rick Saccone, 60, R-Elizabeth, are competing in a March 13 special election in the 18th Congressional District in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The winner will succeed former Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, who resigned in October amidst reports he had asked a woman with whom he was having an affair to consider an abortion. The state's 18th Congressional District represents around 707,000 people in parts of Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties.

The ad's mention of House Minority Leader Pelosi is part of a Republican effort to tie the two candidates together. The state GOP has called Lamb her "handpicked candidate" since Democrats named him their nominee in November.

Dillon Carr is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-871-2325, dcarr@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dillonswriting.