Who's running in Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district
2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
2 candidates · ballot order · Brian Fitzpatrick currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Bipartisan legislating, as co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus.
Open primaries in Pennsylvania, which he says independent voters are entitled to.
Gun violence prevention; he is endorsed by Gabby Giffords.
LGBTQ inclusion within the Republican Party; he is endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans.
Support for Israel; he is endorsed by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Law enforcement and national security, drawing on his FBI career.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 1st District since January 2017.
Former FBI supervisory special agent and federal prosecutor.
Co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus.
Voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 Republican reconciliation bill.
Spent $2.81 million between January 1, 2025 and April 29, 2026, and was the only one of Pennsylvania's four targeted House Republicans not being outraised by his Democratic opponent as of the July 2026 filings.
Arguments in favor
He is endorsed by a former Democratic congresswoman who leads the country's best-known gun violence prevention group, and by the Republican Party's LGBTQ organisation — support that his campaign presents as evidence he is not a party-line vote.
He broke with his party on its central 2025 bill, voting against the reconciliation package, and drew no primary challenger from the right despite expectations that he would.
— The Fitzpatrick campaign, and reporting by the Philadelphia Inquirer
Arguments against
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says he voted for a health care plan that pushes costs up, and blames him along with three other Pennsylvania Republicans for about 190,000 Pennsylvanians losing coverage as enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits expired.
— Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
His opponent's lawyers sent him a cease-and-desist letter in July 2026 claiming his campaign advertising about Harvie was defamatory, after Fitzpatrick helped fund attack advertising against Harvie before the Democratic primary had even been held.
— Bob Harvie's campaign, reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer
What we couldn’t verify
Whether Fitzpatrick's campaign changed or withdrew the advertising after the cease-and-desist letter was not established from sources read.
The DCCC's coverage-loss figure is the committee's own; it was not independently verified here.
His full 2026 endorsement list was not located; those given come from the compilation on Wikipedia's page for the race.
President Trump endorsed nine Pennsylvania House Republicans for 2026 in November 2025 and pointedly did not endorse Fitzpatrick, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Lowering health care costs and restoring the expired Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Cost of living and household costs in Bucks County.
Keeping Pennsylvania's closed primary system; he has said he does not support open primaries.
County-level governing experience applied to federal problems.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners since 2020.
Former teacher and Falls Township supervisor.
Won the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary against Lucia Simonelli.
Named to the DCCC's Red to Blue list.
Outraised the incumbent in the period covered by the July 2026 filings, one of several Pennsylvania Democrats to do so.
Arguments in favor
The governor of Pennsylvania and several members of the state's congressional delegation endorsed him, and the national House Democratic campaign committee put him on its Red to Blue list of priority challengers.
— Gov. Josh Shapiro; Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chris Deluzio; former Rep. Matt Cartwright; DCCC Red to Blue
He has been outraising a long-established incumbent, which his campaign presents as evidence the district is genuinely winnable.
— The Harvie campaign, and Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the July 2026 filings
Arguments against
Fitzpatrick says Harvie's opposition to open primaries crossed a line that cannot be ignored and is an insult to independent voters, who cannot vote in Pennsylvania's closed primaries.
— Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick's advertising casts him as a career politician who voted to give himself a raise and who voted to count faulty mail ballots during a U.S. Senate recount. Harvie's lawyers say the ads are defamatory.
— Fitzpatrick campaign advertising, reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer
What we couldn’t verify
The accuracy of the claims in Fitzpatrick's advertising is disputed: Harvie's campaign has sent a cease-and-desist letter calling them defamatory, and neither claim was independently verified here.
His positions on most federal questions beyond health care and costs were not established from sources read.
Whether Fitzpatrick's characterisation of his open-primaries comments is complete was not established; his own fuller explanation was not located.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Pennsylvania held its primary on May 19, 2026. Republican incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick drew no primary challenger; Bucks County Commission chair Bob Harvie won the Democratic primary. The district covers all of Bucks County and part of Montgomery County, north of Philadelphia, and is one of four Pennsylvania seats both national parties are contesting. Roster confirmed against Ballotpedia and Philadelphia Inquirer reporting. This race has been unusually sharp for its stage: Fitzpatrick's campaign began running attack advertising before the Democratic primary, and Harvie sent him a cease-and-desist letter in July claiming the ads were defamatory.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Pennsylvania ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Pennsylvania Department of State.