{"id":1986,"date":"2026-05-20T03:39:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T03:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/20\/pennsylvania-primaries-spotlight-key-races-for-democrats-to-retake-house\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T03:39:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T03:39:39","slug":"pennsylvania-primaries-spotlight-key-races-for-democrats-to-retake-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=1986","title":{"rendered":"Pennsylvania primaries spotlight key races for Democrats to retake House"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"c792dec9-32ad-4b90-a30f-9ed29e92ec67\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person exits a voting booths while other booths are occupied by voters\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/8332fe544e3cfc745cd7b59dfbd74ac3532175e1\/0_0_4727_3155\/master\/4727.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.36069388618574\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People cast their ballots in the Pennsylvania primary election on 19 May 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/span> Photograph: Matthew Hatcher\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"c792dec9-32ad-4b90-a30f-9ed29e92ec67\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People cast their ballots in the Pennsylvania primary election on 19 May 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/span> Photograph: Matthew Hatcher\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Pennsylvania primaries spotlight key races for Democrats to retake House<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Democrats see four districts as essential in midterms bid to retake House as 16 representatives seek re-election<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2026\/feb\/17\/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB\" data-link-name=\"in standfirst link\">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Primaries across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/pennsylvania\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Pennsylvania<\/a> clarified key battlegrounds for November\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">midterm elections<\/a> on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sixteen of the state\u2019s 17 US representatives are seeking re-election, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/democrats\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Democrats<\/a> are zeroing in on four districts they view as essential pickup opportunities in their bid to retake the House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a> carried Pennsylvania by fewer than two points in 2024, and his return to the White House has sharpened Democratic focus on constituencies they see as vulnerable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">With Republicans having won<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/nov\/14\/election-republicans-win-house-majority\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> a narrow majority<\/a> in the House of Representatives in 2024, and recent redistricting fights in several southern states giving the GOP incremental advantages, Democrats are treating every potential flip in the Keystone state as critical.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Josh Shapiro, the state\u2019s Democratic governor, sits at the top of the ticket this year. The incumbent faced no primary challenger and is set to run for re\u2011election against Pennsylvania\u2019s Republican treasurer, Stacy Garrity, who also ran unopposed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the state\u2019s first congressional district, Bob Harvie \u2013 vice\u2011chair of the Bucks county board of commissioners \u2013 defeated Lucia Simonelli, a former science and climate adviser to Sheldon Whitehouse, a senator. Only registered Democrats could vote in Tuesday\u2019s primary. Harvie will now attempt to unseat Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican who has built his career on a brand of bipartisanship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Fitzpatrick, who ran unopposed, has served in the House since 2017 and won re\u2011election by nearly 13 points in 2024, even though it was one of only three districts in Pennsylvania that Kamala Harris won.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the past, Fitzpatrick has also been willing to break with his party and with Trump on key issues. Last year, he voted against the president\u2019s \u201cone big, beautiful bill\u201d and joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies after a record\u2011breaking government shutdown over the lapsed tax credits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In Pennsylvania\u2019s 10th district, Janelle Stelson, a former local news anchor, defeated Justin Douglas , chair of the Dauphin county board of commissioners, in the Democratic primary. She consistently outraised Douglas throughout the race.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In November, she\u2019ll face Scott Perry, a Republican congressman, in a rematch. Stelson challenged Perry in 2024 and lost by just one percentage point.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Perry, the four-term incumbent, is a member, and former chairman, of the House\u2019s ultra-conservative Freedom caucus. Following Joe Biden\u2019s presidential victory in 2020, he maintained that the election was stolen, and in the lead-up to the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol, Perry introduced Trump to Jeffrey Clark, a fellow election denier who was then a justice department official.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Cook Political Report ranks the state\u2019s 10th and seventh districts among the most competitive House seats nationwide. In the seventh \u2013 which encompasses the Lehigh Valley \u2013 Bob Brooks, the union leader, emerged from a four\u2011way Democratic primary .<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Brooks defeated Lamont McClure, a former Northampton county executive, Ryan Crosswell, a federal prosecutor, and Carol Obando\u2011Derstine, an engineer and former staffer to Bob Casey, the senator.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A former firefighter, Brooks received a wealth of endorsements, including from Shapiro and Bernie Sanders, the independent US senator of Vermont, as well as the prized backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He\u2019s running in one of the most hotly contested seats in central Pennsylvania, hoping to flip it back after Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican, defeated Susan Wild, the Democratic congresswoman, in 2024. Throughout the primary, out\u2011of\u2011state conservative Pac money poured into the district opposing Brooks and boosting McClure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the north-east, the Scranton mayor, Paige Cognetti, won the Democratic primary in the eighth district . She\u2019ll face Rob Bresnahan, the Republican who flipped the seat in 2024 \u2013 a district that includes Biden\u2019s hometown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Meanwhile, in the deep blue third district, which covers much of Philadelphia, Chris Rabbwon a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/15\/democrats-pennsylvania-third-district-elections\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">closely watched primary<\/a> that became a microcosm of the Democratic party\u2019s internal struggles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sharif Street \u2013 state senator and son of John Street, a former Philadelphia mayor \u2013 entered the race with broad institutional backing. He faced Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon endorsed by Dwight Evans, a retiring incumbent, and Rabb, a state representative who ran as an \u201caggressively anti\u2011establishment Democrat\u201d. Rabb racked up support from a number of progressive members of Congress, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/alexandria-ocasio-cortez\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> and Ro Khanna, campaigned on universal healthcare and described US military aid to Israel as supporting genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rabbwill have no issue clinching a win in November, given that Kamala Harris won 88% of the district\u2019s votes in 2024. As Democrats continue their post\u2011mortem of the last presidential election, Rabb\u2019s victory underscores the appetite for insurgent elected candidates in liberal strongholds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As November comes into view, Democrats will be fighting even further down the ballot to retain their one-seat majority in the state\u2019s house of representatives. Meanwhile <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/republicans\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Republicans<\/a> are vying to hold on to control of the Pennsylvania senate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/pennsylvania\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Pennsylvania<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-midterm-elections-2026\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US midterm elections 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/democrats\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Democrats<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/republicans\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Republicans<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Pennsylvania%20primaries%20spotlight%20key%20races%20for%20Democrats%20to%20retake%20House&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/pennsylvania-primaries-midterm-election-battleground?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F19%2Fpennsylvania-primaries-midterm-election-battleground&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/19\/pennsylvania-primaries-midterm-election-battleground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>People cast their ballots in the Pennsylvania primary election on 19 May 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photograph: Matthew<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1988,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1986"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}