Democratic voters in Pennsylvania headed to the polls on Tuesday to choose nominees in four U.S. House races the party sees as critical to taking back control of the chamber in November. The contests are for Republican-held seats, and the Democratic candidates will be part of a broader primary ballot that also includes lieutenant governor and both chambers of the state Legislature.
Republicans hold only a slim majority in the U.S. House, which is why the four Pennsylvania seats matter so much to Democrats. U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mackenzie, Rob Bresnahan and Scott Perry are all unopposed in their Republican primaries, leaving Democratic voters to decide who gets the chance to challenge them later this year.
The 1st Congressional District may be the party’s best opening on paper. Former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly carried the district in 2024, and Gov. Josh Shapiro endorsed Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie over former congressional aide Lucia Simonelli in the primary. Shapiro has also put his weight behind retired firefighter and union leader Bob Brooks in a crowded four-way race in the 7th Congressional District, and he is backing former TV news anchor Janelle Stelson against Scott Perry in the 10th District.
In the 8th Congressional District, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti is unopposed for the Democratic nomination to take on Rob Bresnahan. That district, like the 7th and 10th, was carried by Republican President Donald Trump by larger margins in 2024, a reminder that Democrats are trying to claw into territory that leaned red in the last presidential election.
Tuesday’s ballot stretches well beyond Congress. Voters across Pennsylvania are also deciding primaries for lieutenant governor and for both chambers of the General Assembly, with half of the state’s 50 Senate seats and all 203 state House seats on the line in November. Democrats hold a slim majority in the state House, while Republicans control the state Senate with an edge.
Shapiro, meanwhile, faces no primary opponent as he seeks a second term. That leaves the governor free to campaign without looking over his shoulder at home, even as he tries to help shape the party’s House strategy in a state that could help decide control of Washington.
The numbers point to a competitive electorate, but also to one that is tightly segmented by party. As of May 11, Pennsylvania had nearly 9 million registered voters, including 3.8 million Democrats, 3.6 million Republicans and about 1.2 million unaffiliated voters. Only registered party voters may take part in that party’s primary, which means independents and unaffiliated voters are shut out of Tuesday’s nominating contests.
That structure matters in a state where primary turnout has varied sharply from one cycle to the next. In the 2024 presidential primaries, about 1.1 million Democratic votes and 953,000 Republican votes were cast. Two years earlier, in the U.S. Senate primaries, each party drew roughly 1.3 million votes. The party that can best turn out its core voters on Tuesday will have an early advantage in November.
The will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. House, lieutenant governor, state Senate and state House, along with a special election in state House District 196. For Democrats, the immediate question is not whether Pennsylvania is competitive; it is whether the nominees chosen on Tuesday can turn a map of Republican-held districts into a credible path back to the House.
