DV Journal

While Republicans now outnumber Democrats in Bucks County, it remains a competitive political environment.  A recent poll showed that incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) has a 14-point lead over Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz, at 54 to 40 percent. However, Ehasz released another poll showing only a 5-point lead for the incumbent.

DVJournal asked Fitzpatrick, who was first elected in 2016, why he wanted to serve another term in Congress.

“Serving the community where I was born and raised has been the greatest honor of my life and I am proud of all that we achieved together as ‘One Community.’ Earning the distinction of being the No. 1 most bipartisan member of Congress is not just a title—it’s a testament to my belief that true progress comes from unity and shared purpose, not partisan division.

“My experience as an FBI Special Agent taught me the value of teamwork in achieving what truly matters: results. This approach has been the bedrock of my service in Congress, where I’ve forged crucial partnerships with leaders from both parties to drive transformative change for our PA-1 community.”

Ehasz, who is making a second run against Fitzpatrick, did not respond to multiple requests for comments for this article. However, her campaign appears to be centered on abortion rights.

Ashley Ehasz

“Many Democratic races this year, up and down the ballot, are focusing nearly exclusively on that particular issue, abortion. And Ehasz’ is no exception,” said Christopher Nicholas, a longtime Republican advisor with Eagle Consulting Group.  “The issue clearly motivates the Democratic base, but it’s unclear as of yet how it impacts undecided voters. Recent surveys here have shown that abortion is the top issue for just 5 percent of voters, and it’s unclear from that which particular side of the issue those people fall on.”

About abortion, Fitzpatrick said, “I have always stood, and will continue to stand, firmly in support of Pennsylvania’s current law, which allows abortion to be legal through the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. My commitment to protecting women’s health remains unwavering, including safeguarding access to contraception and IVF. My position has been consistent and clear, including during last [election cycle] debate: I fully support Pennsylvania’s abortion law.”

Fitzpatrick serves on the Ways and Means Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In addition, he co-chairs the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, Congressional Ukraine Caucus, and Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force. He also serves on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

“Whether fighting to secure millions of dollars in funding for vital community initiatives, leading the historic reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, or utilizing my leadership as the National Intelligence Chairman to secure our borders and stand firm against authoritarian regimes, every action I take—locally, nationally, and internationally—is driven by a singular focus: fighting for you… for your safety, for a thriving PA-1 economy, and for the prosperity, security, and strength that will uplift our community now and for generations to come,” Fitzpatrick said.

He added, “We stand at a pivotal moment in our history, and the path forward demands sound bipartisan leadership and a particular understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing our community. I have proven we can turn thoughtful dialogue into meaningful action and achieve results for our hardworking families, business owners, veterans, senior citizens, and every individual in our PA-1 community.

“But I am not content with past achievements alone. My vision is forward-looking—building on what we’ve accomplished to tackle the challenges ahead with the same unwavering dedication, conviction, and integrity that have always defined my service,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick said, “Championing our PA-1 community is my top priority. By forging strong, bipartisan relationships, I have been able to secure over $53 million in Community Project Funding for over 30 projects across our district. From modernizing infrastructure to expanding health care services and senior care, these transformative projects will deliver life-changing improvements to our community.

“As co-chair of the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, I helped lead the passage of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which brought $290 million to our district. These critical infrastructure projects include 27 bridge reconstructions, 19 intersection upgrades, 8 roadway construction projects, and major flooding and drainage improvements. These projects have not only strengthened our infrastructure but also created thousands of jobs, boosting our local economy and enhancing the safety of our community,” he added.

“Beyond securing critical community funding, this Congress marked two other monumental victories. My bipartisan, bicameral Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act was signed into law as part of the landmark FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, ensuring our skies are safe and fortifying our defenses against potential terror attacks. Additionally, my work with Congressman Jared Golden (D-Maine) on the bipartisanDefending Borders, Defending Democracies Ac thelped shape the House National Security Funding Package to protect our borders and combat authoritarian regimes abroad, like Russia and China.

“As I look ahead, my focus remains clear: continuing to fight for the issues that matter most to PA-1. I look forward to fighting for more federal investment in local initiatives and infrastructure, support for our small businesses, and policies that bolster our economy, expand access to healthcare, strengthen our national security, restore faith in our elections, and ensure every voice in our community is heard.”

DVJournal asked about rampant antisemitism on campuses and whether money from countries like Qatar should be going to colleges and universities.

“I unequivocally condemn antisemitism and all manifestations of hatred, whether on college campuses or anywhere within our country and the world. Transparency and accountability are paramount when addressing the influence of foreign funds on any U.S. institution, from higher education to our critical infrastructure or the core of our democracy. That’s why I introduced the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act. This legislation will prevent the influence of foreign adversaries in our elections by blocking foreign-funded political ads and prohibiting foreign donations to campaigns.

“As co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, I will continue to be relentless in fighting back against antisemitism on every front and safeguarding the well-being of our Jewish community, and I am eager to continue working with my colleagues to develop bipartisan solutions to counter malign foreign influence in all our institutions,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick is a former FBI special agent, a CPA, and a certified emergency medical technician (EMT).  A West Point graduate, Ehasz was an Apache helicopter pilot. She served overseas in Kuwait, Iraq, and South Korea. She works as a government and public services sector consultant.

Bucks County Republican Party Chair Pat Poprik said, “Brian does have the right positions for this county.”

Fitzpatrick has been ranked the most bipartisan member of Congress, which makes him a good match for the purple county, she noted. The district, PA-1, also includes a small section of Montgomery County.

“In the general, where it matters, he gets the independent vote. He gets tons of Democrat votes. That’s being representative, and that’s doing his job,” said Poprik.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: X@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

How divided is the Bucks County GOP?

The county’s Republican primary voters gave an unknown, first-time candidate, pro-life candidate Mark Houck, 37 percent of the vote in his challenge to incumbent Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. It reflects the divide between the more MAGA and moderate wings of the GOP.

Will that hurt Fitzpatrick or former President Donald Trump in the general election this November?

Bucks County GOP Chair Pat Poprik said it is not unusual for Fitzpatrick to have a primary opponent.

“That’s really normal for a district that’s so different,” she said. Bucks County is closely divided between Republicans, at 196,311, and Democrats, at 197,883. Some 80,624 voters are unaffiliated or belong to other parties.

“Even in the Republican Party, there are some differences,” she said. “But come November, [Fitzpatrick] wins by 10 or 13 points. I mean, a lot of congressmen would love to have that number in November. Brian does have the right positions for this county.”

Fitzpatrick has been ranked the most bipartisan member of Congress, which makes him a good match for the purple county.

“In the general, where it matters, he gets the independent vote. He gets tons of Democrat votes. That’s being representative, and that’s doing his job,” said Poprik.

In the most recent episode of the Delaware Valley Journal podcast, Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow Guy Ciarrocchi said Houck was running against “the status quo” as much as against Fitzpatrick.

“And Mark had a personal story he needed to tell that he’s genuinely concerned about.” Houck was arrested and tried for a shoving incident during his pro-life ministry at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia. A federal court jury acquitted him.

“You may not like him, but there was a genuineness,” said Ciarrocchi. “And there, what happened to him in real life happened, whether you think it was necessary right or wrong, it happened. So, I think people rallied to him because of his personal story.

“And then the other part is, look, every two years, there are Republicans who want to express their dissatisfaction with Brian Fitzpatrick, that he doesn’t behave more like other Republicans. So this is sort of ritualistic. Conservative Republicans express their dissatisfaction. Brian gets the message, and he has usually been very effective at unifying while at the same time reaching out to independents and Democrats to get himself to 52 or 53 percent [of the vote].

Bellevue Communications Vice President Jeff Jubelirer agreed.

“I’d say that’s a pretty good night for Brian, actually,” said Jubelirer.  Many Republican primary voters are pro-life, he noted.  “I think [Fitzpatrick] threads that needle well.  He does get Democrat and independent support because he delivers.”

This November, Fitzpatrick will again face Democrat Ashley Ehasz, who ran against him in 2022 and lost by nearly 10 points, at 44.91 percent to 55.04.

“The only way I see Brian losing it today, you ask me (again) in the fall, is if Trump goes down by more than a few points, and then there’s some coattails perhaps,” said Jubelirer. “But Bucks is not Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, as we know. It’s very purple. So, I see Brian as very difficult to beat.”

In a statement after the primary, Fitzpatrick said, “There has been one guiding principle that has motivated me from the very first day that I decided to run for Congress: my firm, unequivocal, and unshakable belief in bipartisanship and two-party solutions to address the challenges that the good people of our community face each and every day.

‘To the very core of my being, I believe in bringing people together. I’m asking everyone in our community to join us in leading our People’s Movement of bipartisanship, center-forward problem-solving, and fighting against the bigotry of hyper-partisanship and extremist ideological purity that is destroying our nation. We need to be one community, now more than ever.’

Houck thanked his supporters on Facebook.

“Your encouragement, donations, and volunteered time have been invaluable. A special thanks to my beautiful family—through unimaginable experiences, you have been my rock. I believe God has guided us through this election, and I eagerly await the outcome. God Bless America,” Houck said.

Ciarracchi believes the party will unite to reelect Fitzpatrick and Trump and to elect Dave McCormick for the U.S. Senate, as well as other GOP candidates.

“At the end of the day, conservative Republicans understand that it’s a binary choice. Do you want [Democratic Minority Leader] Hakeem Jeffries to be speaker or not?” Ciarracchi asked.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) on Friday introduced the St. Patrick’s Day Act, a bill that if passed would designate St. Patrick’s Day as a federal holiday.

“St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the rich history and fighting spirit of the Irish people—including nearly two million in Pennsylvania—and the countless contributions that generations of Irish Americans have made to our nation,” Fitzpatrick said on his congressional website.

“As a descendant of Irish immigrants and a friend of Ireland, I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to properly recognize St. Patrick’s Day as a federal holiday.”

The motion was not without at least one critic. Ashley Ehasz, a Democrat who ran against Fitzpatrick in 2022, tweeted following the announcement: “How about making Election Day a federal holiday while you’re at it, so that no one has to choose between a paycheck and their constitutional rights.” The onetime candidate accused Fitzpatrick of having “used [his] vote to crush those of others.”

Fitzpatrick wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon that earlier he had had lunch with President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon. The event was hosted by McCarthy at the U.S. Capitol.

St. Patrick’s Day, which began as a religious holiday in the 17th century, honors the patron saint of Ireland.

Born in Roman Britain in the late 4th century, Patrick was kidnapped at age 16 and taken to Ireland as a slave. He later escaped but returned around 432 A.D. and converted the Irish to Christianity. Many legends have grown around him, including that he drove snakes out of Ireland.

The addition of a holiday to the federal schedule is a relatively rare event. The most recent addition was Juneteenth, added to the national roster in 2021 to commemorate the official cessation of slavery in the United States.

Nearly 32 million Americans—or roughly 10 percent of the population—claim Irish descent, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

Will the U.S. Supreme Court Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade shape the 2022 midterms?

One of the first tests of how public sentiment came in a poll in the First Congressional District race in Bucks County, a seat held by incumbent Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz hopes to capitalize on the anger that has energized many pro-choice voters since the Supreme Court’s decision last Friday. The poll, conducted by Democratic polling firm Global Strategy Group, found Fitzpatrick leads Ehasz by 7 points with 18 percent undecided. However, when voters were told Fitzpatrick “wants to restrict abortion rights, even if the woman’s life is in danger and in most cases of rape and incest,” the results changed to a 10-point lead for Ehasz, a first-time candidate.

“This just echoes the conversations I have had with people at rallies and knocking doors since Friday’s announcement, which is that when voters learn their congressman had the opportunity to protect their right to an abortion and he refused to, they feel betrayed,” said Ehasz. “Fitzpatrick could have voted to codify Roe v. Wade, but instead he washed his hands of it, and sided with the most extreme members of his party. People feel abandoned, and rightly so.”

Not so fast, the Fitzpatrick campaign countered.

“The language in this partisan poll’s script pertaining to Brian’s voting record on abortion is categorically false, and they know it. This push poll is nothing more than a desperate fundraising ploy from a flailing campaign intended to mislead voters in an attempt to make their campaign relevant,”  said Nancy McCarty,  a Fitzpatrick campaign spokesperson.

According to Global Strategy Group, the poll also shows that 44 percent of voters said they disapproved of Fitzpatrick’s job performance while 33 percent approve. That included 40 percent of Republicans approving with 37 percent disapproving.

The pollsters surveyed 626 likely 2022 General Election voters in the First Congressional District on June 24 and 25. The findings have a margin of error of +/-3.9 percent.

Still, Christopher Nicholas, a veteran Republican consultant, said Ehasz will have a tough time beating incumbent Fitzpatrick.

“Her poll shows that when people find out Fitzpatrick is pro-life and she is pro-choice, her vote percentage goes up above his. Trouble is, no one knows who she is and that won’t be the only issue that the campaigns will talk about,” Nicholas said. “In addition to having no name ID she also has no money, so she has a hard road in front of her.”

Ehasz graduated from West Point and is an Iraq War veteran. She is a former Apache helicopter pilot and company commander. A Bensalem resident, she left the Army to study for a master’s degree at Oxford University.

Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor, was embedded with U.S. Special Forces as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In the 117th Congress, he was elected co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. Fitzpatrick is the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber, and he was appointed by House leadership to currently serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and as a Commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission.

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick

He also serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and co-chairs the bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force.

In addition to being an attorney, Fitzpatrick is both a  certified public accountant and a certified emergency medical technician.

“As state legislatures across America begin to consider legislation on this extremely sensitive topic in response to today’s Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, I urge all state legislatures to always start from a place of empathy and compassion,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement released after the decision.

“Any legislative consideration must start with the process of seeing the world through other people’s eyes, and walking the world in other people’s shoes. Any legislative consideration must always seek to achieve bipartisan consensus that both respects a woman’s privacy and autonomy, and also respects the sanctity of human life. These principles are not mutually exclusive; both can and must be achieved,” he said.

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter@DVJournal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

In Washington, D.C. Republicans only need five more seats to win control of the House. And they could pick up two of them in southeast Pennsylvania, strategists say.

As President Joe Biden’s poll numbers plunge, GOP hopes are rising for pick-ups in PA-6—currently represented by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan—and PA-7, where incumbent Democrat Susan Wild’s seat has already been labeled “lean Republican” by the non-partisan Cook Political Report.

At the same time, perennial Democratic hopes of taking out GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in the Biden-friendly First Congressional District have largely faded.

According to the data analysis website FiveThirtyEight, redistricting made Wild’s district more difficult to hold. Picking up Berks County was not ideal for Rep. Wild, nor was losing Stroudsburg—a borough in Monroe County that is a Democratic stronghold, said Charlie O’Neill, grassroots programs coordinator for the Leadership Institute.

Wild’s district is now considered one of the state’s three competitive congressional races, including races for an open seat in Beaver County and incumbent Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks), according to FiveThirtyEight.

Although Fitzpatrick is a perennial target by the Democrats with his Biden-backing district, Samantha Bullock with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said Republicans feel confident. Fitzpatrick’s opponent, 33-year-old army veteran Ashley Ehasz, has run a lackluster campaign, Bullock said, while Fitzpatrick has survived far more Democratic-friendly election cycles.

Federal Election Commission filings show Ehasz has $77,976 on hand, while incumbent Fitzpatrick has close to $1.4 million.

Wild may have twice the amount of cash as her Republican challenger Lisa Scheller, but veteran Democrat strategist TJ Rooney said this will be a difficult election cycle for the incumbent.

“Folks who have been elected in the last four or six years had nothing but favorable conditions to run as a Democrat,” Rooney said. “This time, the president has a very low approval rating and Americans, by and large, think the nation is heading in the wrong direction.”

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has both Houlahan and Wild in their “Frontline” program, a sign they believe the seats are at risk. Houlahan apparently believes it, too. Last week she hosted her 60th town hall meeting.

“Of all of the more recently elected members from Pennsylvania, she’s the head of the class,” Rooney said. “She’s done the things at home that will enable her to win this year.”

O’Neill isn’t so sure. Houlahan’s challenger, former Chester County Chamber of Commerce president Guy Ciarrocchi won a tough, competitive primary and is an experienced political player. And his background in the business community gives him credibility on the economic issues dominating this election cycle.

Both Houlahan and Wild voted with Biden 100 percent of the time, FiveThirtyEight reports, not a positive when the president’s approval is around 40 percent in most polls.

“It’s going to be hard for Wild to talk about the pocketbook and kitchen table issues when her president is largely responsible for inflation, O’Neill said.

Wild’s opponent, Scheller, serves as president and chairman of her family’s manufacturing company. She ran against Wild in 2020 and lost by 4 points.

Adding Carbon County and removing the majority of Monroe County will make Wild’s pathway more difficult, Bullock said.

“In 2020, Donald Trump won Carbon County with 65 percent of the vote as opposed to his 44 percent in Monroe County, which is now almost entirely eliminated from the new district,” Bullock said. “If Scheller mirrored Trump’s 2020 performance in Carbon County, she would have defeated Wild in 2020 due to her performance in Northampton and Lehigh Counties.”

Wild also faces a $50,000 ad campaign organized by the Pennsylvania Hispanic Republican Coalition of Pennsylvania targeting Hispanic voters in her district. It is the first Spanish-language advertising from the right in Pennsylvania, according to Chris Mundiath, the group’s chairman.

“We are investing in reaching the Latino community in areas like the Lehigh Valley and Hazleton where we can really make a difference,” Mundiath said. “Democrats will no longer have a stranglehold over our demographic in our commonwealth. We are ready to lead the movement.”

Lehigh County has the state’s largest Hispanic population at 26 percent, according to the Pennsylvania State Data Center. Wild won the county by a 6-point margin.

Back in Chester County, Ciarrocchi laid out a mantra voters are likely to hear again and again between now and November.

“This election is a referendum. If you like $5 gas, paying up to 40 percent more for groceries, rising crime rates, unsecured borders, our children being used as political pawns, and Russia and China growing in power, vote for Congresswoman Houlahan. She supported every single policy that brought us to this dangerous place.”

Please follow DVJournal on social media: Twitter @DV Journal or Facebook.com/DelawareValleyJournal

There are currently 76 veterans serving in Congress, and one more hopes to join their ranks. Angry at the system and the politicians in Washington, Ashley Ehasz has decided to run against incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks/Montgomery) for the First Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

Growing up wasn’t easy for Ehasz and her family. Ehasz told Delaware Valley Journal she moved around a lot, and that instability drove her to join the military.

“Until I was about six, my mom and I lived in New Jersey, at times living in government housing,” Ehasz said. “Afterwards, we began moving around a lot in southeastern Pennsylvania, ultimately settling in Pen Argyl, where I graduated from Pen Argyl High School. Growing up with just my mom, without much stability, the best option I felt I had was to join the Army. I entered West Point in the summer of 2006 at the age of 17, after my parents signed an age waiver.”

While the instability of her childhood pushed Ehasz to first serve her country, it was the events of the protest at the U.S. Capitol on January 6 that launched Ehasz into the race against Fitzpatrick.

“As a veteran, I was deeply disturbed by the events of January 6,” Ehasz said, “and it’s from the inaction of politicians in Washington who allowed this divisiveness to fester when they should have been looking to solve problems.”

Fitzpatrick beat Democrat Christina Finello at 56.6 percent in the 2020 election. A former FBI agent, Fitzpatrick has been a member of Congress since 2016 when he replaced his brother, who was also a Republican.

Although Ehasz is running as a Democrat, her concerns aren’t limited to one political party. Her priority is to help the people of Bucks and Montgomery Counties and the rest of the United States.

“I’m not interested in partisan politics,” Ehasz said. “I am running to represent people’s priorities here in Bucks and Montgomery counties. People want their representative to come up with real solutions to how they can afford their rent, pay off their student loans, and what the plan is to build economic resilience from the threat of climate change.”

When asked for her opinions on Fitzpatrick’s policies, Ehasz said she was frustrated with how slow progress is moving toward legislation on abortion  rights.

“It’s outrageous to me, and to so many of the people I talk to every day, that in 2021 we are facing an existential threat to reproductive healthcare and the right to choose, and it’s politicians in Washington like Brian Fitzpatrick fanning the flames of anti-choice rhetoric,” she said.

In addition to her pro-choice position, Ehasz wants to bring relief to the people struggling in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

“Whether you are a young professional just starting out, or an older adult looking towards retirement, you feel the strain on your wallet because politicians in Washington accomplish nothing,” Ehasz said. “For the first time in decades, students, workers, families, and retirees are worse off than the generation before us, unable to make a down payment, find work that offers a livable wage, or afford prescription drug prices.”

As a commissioned officer, Ehasz says she learned valuable leadership lessons which would translate into how she tackled issues in Congress.

“I graduated from West Point in 2010 and went on to complete flight school, where I learned to fly the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter,” she said. “My first duty station was Fort Bliss, Texas, where I served as a platoon leader. From there I deployed to Kuwait and then Camp Taji, Iraq, under Operation Inherent Resolve. In 2016, after further leadership training, I was granted the greatest privilege of my career: Becoming a company commander. I assumed command of an aviation maintenance troop at Fort Riley, Kansas, and later was deployed to South Korea where I eventually took command of another troop in our unit. In 2018, after nearly nine years as a commissioned officer, I used the G.I. Bill to further my education, earning my master’s degree from the University of Oxford.”

Ehasz states in her campaign launch video she’s angry at a system that’s keeping families in Bucks and Montgomery Counties unable to reach higher goals for themselves.

“It’s time to send a representative to Washington who isn’t afraid to tackle the tough issues, who won’t shrink away from the anger Americans are feeling.”

Change is what Ehasz says she is fighting for, and she wants to make changes within Congress.

“I’m not a politician,” Ehasz states on her website. “I’m not going to Washington to cozy up to lobbyists — I am going to roll up my sleeves and solve problems. When it comes to affording things like a mortgage, health care, and student loans, I have skin in the game.”