Rothfus beats Critz

Republicans have finally knocked off the Murtha-Critz crowd in PA12, and Keith Rothfus is the latest GOP congressman from Western Pennsylvania.

Mr. Critz just called his opponent to concede, his campaign said.

It was the most competitive congressional race in the state and the most expensive, in terms of outside advertising spending, in the entire country. It is also a tough defeat for labor unions that went all out to defeat Critz's Democratic foe Jason Altmire in the spring but could not deliver another win in the district outside of Pittsburgh, even on a night when Democrats cleaned up across the rest of the state.

There will now be one congressional Democrat -- Mike Doyle -- in all of the former Democratic stronghold of Western Pa.