Woman linked to ex-GOP Rep. Tim Murphy’s downfall launches House bid

A woman whose past relationship with former Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) led to his resignation announced on Wednesday that she’s running for Congress.

Forensic psychologist Shannon Edwards announced at the Allegheny County Courthouse that she will run for the Republican nomination and challenge Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) in 2018, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

In early October, the Post-Gazette reported that Murphy, who was having an affair with Edwards, sent her a text message urging her to have an abortion amid a pregnancy scare. That prompted Murphy, a vocal anti-abortion congressman, to resign from Congress.

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“Pittsburgh deserves an active and diligent voice in Washington, D.C.,” Edwards said Wednesday in announcing her campaign. “I will fight the tough battles that no one else chooses to fight.”

During the announcement, Edwards said she doesn’t regret her past relationship with Murphy. Edwards said she anticipates that her opponents will use it against her, but that she won’t back down from campaigning.

“My opponents are likely to spend egregious amounts of time and money in an attempt to display my human mistakes for all to see,” Edwards said. “I was warned. I have been given explanations. I have been told to back down, and I am here to tell you, nevertheless, I will endure.”

Edwards’s path to the GOP nomination could be tough since she might face state Rep. Rick Saccone (R), who’s currently running in the nationally watched special election to fill Murphy’s seat.

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court adopted a new congressional map Monday in the state’s ongoing gerrymandering case, though Republicans are currently challenging the new lines. The new map released this week draws Saccone’s hometown into the new 18th district.