Scanlon, Kim look to focus on issues in race for Pennsylvania's 5th District

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - On a brisk October afternoon, Republican Pearl Kim, a former prosecutor for the Delaware County District Attorney and for the Pennsylvania Attorney General, takes her campaign to Upper Darby's Korean business district.

Thee, she greeted would-be voters and promised moderation, a must for a GOP candidate in the Philly suburbs.

"I'm concerned about the partisan divide. I'm concerned about the rhetoric coming out of Washington. But working together for the common good is a priority of mine," Kim told FOX 29's Bruce Gordon.

Kim's campaign ads highlight her Korean immigrant backstory and her work on behalf of victims.

"I took on sexually violent predators who abused women and children. I'm Pearl Kim and I approve this message because I actually give a damn," one of her televised ads claims.

Gordon also caught up with Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon as she met with volunteers in South Philadelphia.

The lawyer and former Wallingford-Swarthmore schoolboard president cites child advocacy and education among her passions.

"We had to balance a budget while providing topflight education at one of the best school districts in the country," Scanlon explained.

Scanlon's ads include a shout-out from the Democrats' heaviest hitter, President Barack Obama.

Among the distinctions between the candidates is one of the most polarizing issues on the table: abortion.

"And so now I would consider myself pro-life, with reasonable exceptions," Kim explained, adding those exceptions include, "Rape, incest, and the health of the mother."

"My positon is that I've been pro-choice my entire adult life, but that reproductive health isn't just about abortion-- it's also about whether or not there's affordable and accessible birth control," Scanlon said.

The newly redrawn 5th District encompasses all of Delaware County, plus slices of Montgomery County and Philadelphia.

The seat is considered "open" because the incumbent Republican, Pat Meehan, quit under pressure, after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a female staffer.

He left office three months after this January interview with FOX 29's Jeff Cole, where he admitted to an "attraction."

So what do Scanlon and Kim think about the #MeToo movement, and the idea of little less testosterone in Congress?

"There's never been a woman of color elected into Congress in the history of Pennsylvania, and so I'm able to bring a different perspective to the table than anyone else has," Kim said.

"The benefit of having a race with two women competing is that we're just focusing on the issues," Scanlon said. According to Scanlon, candidates beating each other up "doesn't advance the ball."