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WILKES-BARRE &#8212; You can call it a backyard brawl. But the race between Bob Casey and Lou Barletta for a U.S. Senate seat is really about how Pennsylvania feels about President Donald Trump and his first two years in power.Democrat Casey, 58, of Scranton, is seeking his third, six-year term in the Senate. Barletta, a 62-year-old Republican from Hazleton, decided to not seek a fifth term in the House and instead opted to try to oust Casey from office.Casey is backed by labor unions, gay-rights organizations and environmental advocacy groups. Barletta is backed by business trade associations and anti-abortion groups &#8212; and President Donald Trump.Also on the ballot are Libertarian candidate Dale Kerns and Green Party contender Neal Gale.Casey said the top three issues in the race are health care, jobs, and protecting the benefits that seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work.&#8220;I&#8217;ve worked to expand access to affordable health care and I&#8217;m the only candidate in this race who opposes ending protections for 5.3 million Pennsylvanians with pre-existing conditions,&#8221; Casey said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve worked across the aisle to create good-paying Pennsylvania jobs by passing legislation to invest in our workforce, rebuild our infrastructure, and expand rural broadband. I&#8217;ve also led the fight to protect Social Security and Medicare while my opponent has sided with the corporate special interests in Washington who want to cut those programs.&#8221;Barletta said Pennsylvania workers need good paying jobs to take care of their families.&#8220;That&#8217;s why I support President Trump&#8217;s agenda which is growing the economy and creating jobs,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We need to continue to roll back job-killing regulations, fight back against unfair trade practices from China, keep tax rates competitive with other industrialized economies, stop illegal immigration from taking our jobs and lowering our wages, and invest in our nation&#8217;s infrastructure to keep and grow good paying jobs here in Pennsylvania.&#8221;Barletta also said standing up for law enforcement and making sure they have the resources they need to keep our communities safe is one of his top priorities. He also supports veterans, noting that Pennsylvania is home to more than 820,000 people who have served our country.&#8220;Which is why I believe we kneel when we pray and stand for the flag,&#8221; Barletta said.Barletta said illegal immigration is one of the nation&#8217;s greatest challenges, and he has always fought for workers and families whose jobs are threatened and wages depressed due to an influx of illegals.&#8220;Nothing good comes from illegal immigration,&#8221; Barletta said. &#8220;It affects worker wages, jobs, and national security.&#8221;The Times Leader quizzed the Senate candidates on a range of issues facing Pennsylvania voters. Here are the questions and the candidates&#8217; responses:&#8226; What is your plan to bring good-paying, family-sustainable jobs to the region?Casey: &#8220;Creating and retaining good paying jobs in Pennsylvania is one of my top priorities. I believe we must make strong investments in our infrastructure, which is why I passed bipartisan legislation to help rebuild hundreds of structurally deficient Pennsylvania roads and bridges. We also need to make investments in our workforce, fund workforce training programs, expand rural broadband, fight outsourcing, and renegotiate unfair trade deals.&#8221;Barletta: &#8220;The tax cuts and rolling back of excessive regulations have ignited our economy. Nearly 4 million Americans have come off food stamps during the past two years, and there are now more jobs available than people who are unemployed. I&#8217;ve also been working with the administration to fight back against China&#8217;s unfair trade practices and stop foreign countries from stealing our jobs. Infrastructure investment will have a multiplying effect for the economy to boost wages and create good paying jobs. These jobs will help to sustain local communities as workers spend in the local economy.&#8221;&#8226; What is your stance on Social Security and Medicare?Casey: &#8220;As the ranking member of the Special Committee on Aging, I am one of the leading voices in the Senate for protecting Social Security and Medicare. These programs are benefits Pennsylvania seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work and I will always oppose any effort to undermine them.&#8221;Barletta: &#8220;I have never and will never support ending or privatizing Social Security or Medicare. Americans have spent their entire working years paying into these important programs through payroll taxes and it is important for members of Congress to ensure these critical programs are there for current retirees and future generations.&#8221;&#8226; What will you do to work across the aisle to produce meaningful legislation that benefits all Pennsylvanians?Casey: &#8220;My number one priority is delivering results for workers, seniors and middle-class families and I&#8217;ll work with anyone to do that. My record shows that I&#8217;ve always found a way to work across the aisle to get things done.&#8221;Barletta: &#8220;I have always sought to work across party lines to do what is best for the people I represent, as a Republican city councilman and mayor in a city where Democrats vastly outnumber Republicans, and as member of Congress, where I am a member of the Bipartisan Working Group.&#8221;&#8226; Why should voters select you to represent them?Casey: &#8220;I believe 2018 is a make-or-break moment for Pennsylvania&#8217;s middle class. The corporate special interests in Washington are stacking the deck against working families by slashing taxes for the wealthy while trying to cut the programs and protections Pennsylvanians depend on. We&#8217;ve got to fight back. I&#8217;m running to raise wages and create jobs, lower the costs of health care, child care, and prescription drugs, and help families save for college and retirement. I&#8217;ve worked to bring both parties together to get things done and passed legislation to combat the opioid crisis, expand access to affordable health care, help Americans with disabilities, and rebuild our infrastructure. But there are so many battles left to fight to ensure Pennsylvania&#8217;s workers, seniors, and middle-class families obtain the peace and security they deserve.&#8221;Barletta: &#8220;Throughout my career, both in the private sector and public office, I have seen first-hand the problems created by government when politicians ignore the concerns of the American people. Whether it was starting a small business with my wife, Mary Grace, and employing folks in my community, fighting against illegal immigration as mayor when the federal government failed to act, or helping local communities obtain grants to protect against flooding as a member of Congress, my motivation is always to serve the people I represent. As your next Senator, I will be honest, accessible, and will never back down from doing what&#8217;s right.&#8221;<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Incumbent Casey, challenger Barletta square off in high-stakes race</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Bill O&#8217;Boyleboboyle@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>U.S. SenateName: Robert Patrick Casey Jr.Age: 58Town of Residence: ScrantonParty: DemocratOffice Seeking: United States SenatorCurrent Job: U.S. Senator &#8212; seeking third termEducation: Bachelor&#8217;s degree in English from the College of Holy Cross, 1982; law degree from the Catholic University of America, 1988Family: Wife, Terese; children, Elyse 29, Caroline 27, Julia 24, and Marena 22&#8226;Name: Lou BarlettaAge: 62Town of Residence: HazletonParty: RepublicanOffice Seeking: U.S. SenateCurrent Job: Member of CongressEducation: Bloomsburg State (Now Bloomsburg University)Family: Wife, Mary Grace, children, Kelly, April, Lindsey, Grace</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</shirttailMeta></div>

US Senate showdown: Casey looking to hold off Barletta in high-stakes race