WHYY · Kenny CooperEmily Neil · September 9, 2026
In the 2026 midterm elections , Pennsylvania voters will decide who will serve as governor and lieutenant governor for the next four years. U.S. congressional seats are also on the ballot. Here’s everything voters need to know about the race for the 1st Congressional District seat in Bucks County and part of Montgomery County, from who’s running and what’s at stake to where the candidates stand on key issues and beyond. What’s at stake in the race for Pa.’s 1st Congressional District seat?
WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor
What does a congressional representative do?
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected to two-year terms. The number of representatives in each state is proportional to the state’s population. Legislators in the House introduce and vote on legislation, serve on committees, represent their districts and provide oversight to the executive branch, among other duties.
All 435 House seats across the country are up for election.
Bucks County (all)
Montgomery County (part) East Greenville Borough
Franconia Township
Hatfield Borough
Hatfield Township
Horsham Township (part)
Marlborough Township
Montgomery Township
Pennsburg Borough
Red Hill Borough
Salford Township
Souderton Borough
Telford Borough (part)
Upper Hanover Township
Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District is one of four races in the commonwealth where Democrats are looking to take control of a seat now held by a Republican.
Unseating Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick has proved difficult for past challengers.
Fitzpatrick was first elected to Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District in 2016. After the state’s congressional districts were redrawn in 2018, he was reelected to represent what is now the 1st Congressional District.
In 2018, Scott Wallace came the closest of any Democratic candidate to unseating Fitzpatrick, capturing 48.7% of the vote.
Fitzpatrick bested Democratic candidate Ashley Ehasz in the past two elections, defeating her by more than 12 percentage points in the last contest .
Democrat Bob Harvie, a Bucks County commissioner, could pose Fitzpatrick’s toughest challenge to date . Both candidates have exchanged barbs and attacked one another’s records in a tense face-off that has included allegations of corruption , cease-and-desist letters and a defamation lawsuit.
Pa. election 2026: Voter guides, key races and more
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Here’s what you should know beforehand, from voter deadlines to who’s on the ballot in Philadelphia and statewide.
Fitzpatrick, 52, grew up in Levittown. He graduated from Bishop Egan High School in Fairless Hills in 1992. He earned his bachelor’s of science in business administration from LaSalle University in 1996. In 2001, Fitzpatrick received a master’s of business administration and a law degree from Penn State University. From 2001 to 2002, he was a judicial clerk in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Fitzpatrick then served as special agent for the FBI, where he led the bureau’s Public Corruption Unit and was the national director of its Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement Program. During his tenure in the FBI, he was embedded with the U.S. Special Forces as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also spent time as a special assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Fitzpatrick, who is a certified emergency medical technician, worked in the private sector as an attorney and an accountant.
WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor
In 2016, Brian Fitzpatrick successfully ran for Congress to succeed his brother, U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, who served the area when it was Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District. Even after the state’s congressional districts were redrawn in 2018, Fitzpatrick has continued to hold the seat, solidifying himself as the sole Republican representing Philadelphia’s collar counties in the U.S. House of Representatives.
What has Brian Fitzpatrick done as congressional representative?
Fitzpatrick considers himself a moderate . He’s split with the GOP on several issues, including on climate change , gun control and LGBTQ rights . He refused to endorse Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano’s unsuccessful bid for governor in 2022.
He’s also been involved with bipartisan efforts to establish good government policy, such as efforts to ban members of Congress from trading stocks .
While Fitzpatrick has voted to protect contraception access , his overall record on abortion rights is mixed.
In July 2022, Fitzpatrick voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified Roe v. Wade into law.
At the same time, he was one of three Republicans who voted for the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which affirmed the right for someone to cross state lines for an abortion.
Fitzpatrick has largely avoided President Donald Trump and his far-right colleagues in Congress. He was absent from some of Trump ’s and Vice President JD Vance’s campaign visits to Bucks County in 2024.
Trump’s second term has tested Fitzpatrick’s reputation as a moderate. While he initially voted to advance Trump’s tax-and-spending initiative known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” in 2025, Fitzpatrick ultimately voted against the final version of the bill, which significantly rolled back federal support for health care and food assistance .
In the 119th Congress , Fitzpatrick has been the prime sponsor of 85 bills and resolutions as of Sept. 8. He’s co-sponsored more than 1,200 bills and resolutions this cycle.
Fitzpatrick, who did not respond to numerous requests for an interview, lists a number of priorities on his website, including public safety. He is pushing for tougher penalties for “repeat criminal illegal immigrants.”
In regards to foreign policy, he has supported tougher sanctions on North Korea and Iran.
“I also have opposed the one-sided resolutions targeting our ally, Israel at the United Nations, as well as support efforts to achieve justice for American victims of Palestinian terrorism,” Fitzpatrick said on his campaign site.
He stated that he also wants to reform “unfair trade deals that put the American worker at a disadvantage.”
Fitzpatrick, author of the “No Budget, No Pay” bill, wants to block members of Congress from receiving pay during government shutdowns.
Additionally, Fitzpatrick is campaigning on enhancing senior benefits, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, boosting cancer research funding, removing barriers to substance-use disorder treatments and establishing stronger standards for regulating PFAS.
“I believe that anyone who works hard and plays by the rules should be able to achieve their own American dream,” Fitzpatrick said on the site. “My economic priorities are straightforward: support measures that put American workers and businesses back at the forefront of our economy to create family-sustaining careers and true wealth for our nation.”
Philly-area House members vote on Trump’s Iran war powers along party lines
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Bucks County, joined other House Republicans in voting against limiting President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran.
Bob Harvie did not agree to an interview in time for publication.
Currently the vice chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners, Harvie launched his congressional campaign in April 2025.
Born in Bristol Borough, Bucks County, Harvie spent more than two decades as a high school social studies teacher before jumping into politics, first as a member of the planning commission and then as a supervisor in Falls Township.
In 2019, he won a seat on the county board of commissioners, giving it a Democratic majority for the first time in nearly 40 years .
Harvie has touted his bipartisan record in office and his electoral victories in a county that Trump narrowly carried in the 2024 elections.
After winning the Democratic primary election in May by a wide margin , Harvie told WHYY News that he is focusing on affordability in the general election face-off with Fitzpatrick.
“Government is supposed to work for people, it’s supposed to make your life easier, not harder,” Harvie said. “It’s supposed to solve problems, not create new ones. And right now, obviously, it’s not doing that, and [voters] know that. And they’re angry, they’re angry at the lack of leadership in Washington, they’re angry at the waste and the fraud and the abuse … They want a government that works.”
As county commissioner, he said he has had an over 90% record of voting with his GOP colleague on bills and has focused on improving access to mental health care, public safety, sustainability, job growth and housing issues.
“That’s actual bipartisanship, that’s not some phony phrase you put on a billboard and hope nobody asks any questions about it,” Harvie told WHYY News in May. “Brian Fitzpatrick talks about being a problem solver. I don’t know any problem he solved, other than getting himself reelected.”
Harvie is focused on pocketbook and affordability issues, per his campaign website , and lists 12 priorities for what he terms a “new fair deal for working families.”
Bob Harvie wins Democratic primary for Pa.’s 1st Congressional District
Harvie will face off against Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick this fall in one of several key contests that Democrats hope will gain them a majority in the U.S. House.
The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Pa. election 2026: What to know about the 142nd House District race in Bucks County
Republican incumbent state Rep. Joe Hogan is facing a challenge from Democrat Kristin Egan.
‘Trumpapalooza’: Vulnerable incumbents among those attending the Republican midterm convention
U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean is also headed to Dallas to join other Democrats for a parallel event designed to counter the GOP message.
Data center opposition could become a key issue in New Jersey’s midterm elections
A growing number of towns are banning data centers because of quality-of-life and financial concerns.
Kenny Cooper is WHYY’s suburban reporter covering Chester and Delaware counties. He joined WHYY in November 2020.
Emily Neil is a WHYY News reporter covering Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal