Mistress Of Former U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy Running For Congress

PITTSBURGH, PA - Can a woman whose affair with a congressman played a pivotal role in ending his tenure in the U.S. House herself be elected to congress? Shannon Edwards is about to find out.

Edwards, 33, the ex-paramour of former U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of Upper St. Clair, has announced she is seeking the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported Edwards’ candidacy.

“This is the most important time in decades to bring the issues of mental health and criminal justice to lawmakers,” Edwards said in an online statement. “Because I am uniquely qualified to undertake this mission, I have been determined to make a congressional run for quite some time.”

Murphy resigned in October after his affair with Edwards became public as part of Edwards’ divorce proceedings and revelations that he had suggested she get an abortion during a pregnancy scare. Murphy, who had been in Congress since 2002, was strongly opposed to abortion publicly.

A March 13 special election to fill Murphy’s seat is pitting Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone against Democrat Conor Lamb, a former Marine and assistant U.S. attorney. Edwards is running in a different district at the moment, although that could change as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court just redrew the state’s congressional district map.

Edwards, who has worked as a forensic psychologist for criminal and family courts, is at a distinct financial disadvantage in her attempt to topple Doyle, 4, who has served in the House since 1995 and is Pennsylvania’s longest-tenured congressman.

Doyle’s latest filing with the Federal Election Commission showed him with $257,000 in his campaign coffers as of January 1. Edwards thus far has raised $380 through a GoFundMe.com page she launched last month.

Edwards photo collage via GoFundMe.