Good Wednesday morning, I'm Anna Palmer and welcome to your Politico Playbook audio briefing, sponsored by the Business Roundtable.

People expecting an early night in the Pennsylvania special election last night were sorely disappointed.

Elena Schneider was out in Cannonsburg, and she reports that Democrat Connor Lamb is clinging to a tiny lead with all precincts reporting.

Lamb, who declared victory early Wednesday morning, was leading by just 677 votes, with only one

county left to report absentee ballots. Schneider reports that no major news organization has

called the race for Lamb, but the slim margin is an ominous

sign for Republicans heading into an increasingly hostile midterm environment. A recount is possible

if Lamb and his Republican opponent, Rick Sacon, are separated by 0.5 percent or less. Voters or the

candidates would have to legally challenge the results because a recount is not

automatically initiated under Pennsylvania law.

Here are the irrefutable facts.

Republicans spent big in a race should not have even been close.

President Donald Trump and top Republican surrogates were unable, once again,

to be the difference makers in a district that Trump won by 20 points in 2016. And what could be

a major problem for Republicans, there were attempts to tie Lamb to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

didn't work.

It's important to remember.

This district will likely go away this year after the courts struck down the Republican drawn map in Pennsylvania.

Both Lamb and Sacon could be candidates in other districts before the eventual outcome

of this race is known.

NRC Chairman Steve Stivers is expected to address the race at a closed-door Republican meeting today.

He is expected to say candidates and campaigns matter, and the GOP didn't think that much of Rick Sucone.

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