DV Journal

Delaware Valley Republican Brian Fitzpatrick is on the Democrats’ target list in next year’s election.

With Republicans holding a slim 220-213 majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and the history of midterms breaking away from the party in the White House, Democrats see a terrific opportunity to take control of the chamber in 2026.

And a lot of that opportunity, they believe, is here in Pennsylvania. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) list of seats on its potential pick-up list includes Fitzpatrick along with Reps. Ryan Mckenzie (R-Lehigh), Rob Bresnahan (R-Lackawana), and Scott Perry (R-Cumberland).

And Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Bradford) has said he is mulling a run for governor, which could create an open seat next year.

Fitzpatrick represents one of just three districts with Republican members that Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024. (There are 13 Trump districts represented by Democrats, though none are in Pennsylvania.)

Fitzpatrick already has an announced Democratic opponent. Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie (D) has thrown his hat into the ring.

Democrats have been trying to unseat Fitzpatrick since 2016 without success. A moderate who chairs the Problem Solvers Caucus, Fitzpatrick was named the most bipartisan Republican by The Hill in 2024.

The Republican National Congressional Committee (RNCC) points to Fitzpatrick’s electoral success, as well as his fundraising, to argue Democrats have picked the wrong target.

Fitzpatrick had a massive first fundraising quarter, reporting more than $5 million in cash on hand, setting a new record for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, which includes all of Bucks County and a sliver of Montgomery County.

“Congressman Fitzpatrick’s record-breaking fundraising comes as no surprise,” said RNCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole. “The most bipartisan member of the House, Fitzpatrick works across the aisle to deliver commonsense results for Pennsylvanians. He has always put people over politics, and these monumental fundraising numbers underscore that.”

But Democrats believe they will be aided in their quest by tying the incumbents to some Trump administration policies, such as tariffs and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).  If the stock market continues to fall and inflation is not quelled, they believe they’ll easily regain a House majority.

DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene said, “Brian Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan, and Scott Perry are running scared, and they should be. From tanking the economy, gutting Medicaid, abandoning our veterans, to making everything more expensive, they’ve broken their promises to Pennsylvanians, and it’s going to cost them their seats. The DCCC is already working to recruit authentic and battle-ready candidates in Pennsylvania who reflect these districts and will work to better Pennsylvanians’ lives, not line Elon Musk and their DC party bosses’ pockets.”

However, the DCCC may have difficulty painting Fitzpatrick as a Trump supporter. He is not shy about differing with the administration on issues like Ukraine. Fitzpatrick is co-chair of the House Ukraine Caucus.

Longtime GOP strategist Christopher Nicholas with Eagle Consulting Group said, “In the past three elections Fitzpatrick won PA-1 by margins of 13 percent, 9 percent and 13 percent, so good luck to the DCC there next year. In ’24, after making a lot of noise there, they canceled most, if not all, of their ad buys there.

“PA-1 will continue to be the Dems’ white whale,” Nicholas added.

Could a digital ad by a Democratic PAC be designed to trick Republican voters into not voting?

Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas thinks so.  Tabas asked the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Al Schmidt, to investigate a recent ad. Tabas contends the ad weaponizes disinformation to suppress potential GOP voters from voting by mail.

“This is a serious crime, with very serious implications for our democracy,” Tabas wrote to Schmidt. “PA Values PAC executed this June 2024 ad…knowing fully that the targets of the ad may not vote at all in November, if not for the convenience of mail-in ballots.”

The ad used old clips of former President Donald Trump saying that he opposes mail-in ballots. However, Trump has changed his position and now advocates voting by mail.  At his recent rally in Philadelphia, Trump told his supporters to vote whether early, by mail, or in person.

And the Trump campaign threatened to sue the PAC over the misleading ad, which addresses  “MAGA patriots” and calls voting by mail “totally corrupt.”

A Federal Election Commission report showed the PAC spent $44,000 on a digital ad in June.

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), a staunch Trump supporter, sent Shapiro a letter about the ad.

““Of the hundreds of thousands of views, Pennsylvania Values’ ad has likely dissuaded some not to vote by mail, or worse, to not vote at all,” Meuser said. “Damage to election integrity and confidence in the election process has been done. Governor Shapiro’s office must condemn this attempt to suppress votes to help restore voter confidence that has been eroded. Election integrity is paramount, and I believe it can be achieved in Pennsylvania. We must work in a non-partisan manner to prevent the erosion of voter confidence in election outcomes.  A strong response from Governor Shapiro and Secretary Schmidt will show Pennsylvania citizens that this administration is committed to combating election law violations, regardless of party.”

Schmidt is also head of Pennsylvania’s “Election Threat Task Force,” launched by Governor Josh Shapiro in February of this year. According to a press release on the Department of State’s website, Shapiro said:”…the Election Threats Task Force will…combat misinformation, safeguard the rights of every citizen, and ensure this [November’s] election is safe, secure, free, and fair.”

The ad ran for four days in June, before it was removed by Google for “policy violation.” However, it had already  been seen by hundreds of thousands of viewers.

The ad’s use of “our president” and “stand with Trump,” according to Tabas, was intended to trick voters into believing that the ad, and its demands, emanated from Trump or authorized representatives. He reminded Schmidt that, under Section 3527, title 25, of the Pennsylvania Code, activity intended to influence unduly or overawe voters, prevent voters from voting or restrain their freedom of choice is not just an impediment to free and fair elections, but is also a felony.

“I am bringing this matter before you and imploring you to investigate and handle the matter in the thorough and determined manner pledged by the governor, when he launched the Task Force.”

PA Values PAC Treasurer Maria Galdo could not be reached for comment.