Parnell decision to leave race expected after custody decision was made

Republican Sean Parnell suspended his U.S. Senate campaign Monday, saying he wanted to focus instead on his three children.

The announcement came just hours after his estranged wife was given primary physical custody of the children and sole legal custody following a three-day trial. Parnell’s decision didn’t come as a surprise to those following what is expected to be one of the nation’s most hotly contested Senate races next year.

“Sean’s made the decision he needs to focus on his family, and they come first,” said Allegheny County Republican Chairman Sam DeMarco. “This is about his family and wasn’t a political calculus.”

Jeff Gulati, a political science professor at Bentley University in Massachusetts who specializes in congressional campaigns, said he suspects Republican strategists at the state and national levels advised Parnell that details of the custody trial that went public would be politically damaging.

Parnell’s estranged wife, Laurie Snell, testified Nov. 1 that the couple’s relationship was marked by fits of rage, and that Parnell previously assaulted her and on two occasions got physical with two of their three children.

The judge hearing the case said in his opinion awarding Snell primary custody that he found her testimony to be more credible than Parnell’s.

A crowded field of Democratic and Republican candidates already has emerged in the race to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley.

DeMarco characterized Parnell, 40, as the front-runner in the Senate race. A former Army platoon leader, veterans charity founder and published author, he resides in Ohio Township.

“It’s a sad day. I think he was an exceptional candidate,” he said.

DeMarco said Parnell’s decision to suspend his campaign could draw even more candidates into the race.

“I think it’s going to be a very interesting December, and we’ll see how this settles,” he said.

Gulati said it was likely Parnell would have survived the primary even after the allegations raised in the custody case. But it would have been a different story in the general election, he said.

G. Terry Madonna, a long-time pollster now serving as a senior fellow in residence at Millersville University, said there was no doubt that Parnell’s custody battle was going to be an issue.

“It’s an issue of significance that his opponents would use against him,” he said. “It would be brought up throughout the primary campaign.”

Parnell’s statement Monday did not foreclose the possibility of him re-entering the race, and instead said that he could not “continue with a Senate campaign.”

Although it’s possible Parnell could re-enter the Senate race in the future, Madonna thinks it is unlikely.

“If he suspends his campaign, that means he’s not out there campaigning, and he’s not out there interacting with voters,” he said. “With each passing month, you get further behind in fundraising.”

By dropping out now, Gulati said Parnell, who is popular among Pennsylvania Republicans and had the endorsement of former President Trump, is protecting his future.

“I don’t think this is the end of his political career,” he said. “I think he preserves his viability for a future race.”

DeMarco described Parnell, who previously ran for Congress against U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Mt. Lebanon, as charismatic, with a magnetism about him at campaign events. He said Parnell stayed and talked with volunteers and potential voters, posing for pictures with anyone who asked.

“I think he had excellent opportunity,” DeMarco said.

But in a statewide race, especially in today’s polarized environment, every vote counts, DeMarco said.

“The accusations made in this case were enough to raise questions — especially among suburban women,” he said.