Democrat Bob Harvie unseated five-term Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, taking a suburban swing seat that no member of his party has held since 2011.
Harvie, a Bucks County commissioner and onetime high school social studies teacher, finished more than 5 percentage points ahead. The district covers all of Bucks County and part of Montgomery County.
The margin marks a sharp reversal from two years ago. In 2024, Fitzpatrick beat Democrat Ashley Ehasz by more than 13 points, even though Kamala Harris narrowly edged Donald Trump among the district's voters.
The upset was part of a national Democratic surge that gave the party control of both the U.S. House and Senate. In Pennsylvania, Democratic pickups in Bucks County state legislative races helped the party secure a trifecta in Harrisburg for the first time in decades.
Costs, Trump and a distant incumbent
Harvie pointed to grassroots organizing and a relentless focus on affordability as the keys to his win. State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, who leads the Bucks County Democratic Committee, said economic worries were likely the biggest factor behind his party's strong showing.
Fitzpatrick, who called himself a moderate, frequently tried to separate himself from Trump and emphasized bipartisanship, but that strategy failed in an election many viewed as a verdict on the administration. Harvie argued that Fitzpatrick had been complicit with the president and said voters felt disconnected from a congressman who had gone nine years without hosting a face-to-face town hall in the district.
People can point fingers at the president, but there’s a Congress that’s supposed to also exercise power and hasn’t been,
Bob Harvie, Democratic congressman-elect
A bitter, litigious race
Fitzpatrick's campaign ran ads claiming Harvie was the target of an FBI investigation. Harvie denied the allegation, sent a cease-and-desist letter and filed a defamation lawsuit against the congressman.
Last week, Fitzpatrick also sued to force Democratic Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia off the county's elections board, arguing that her open backing of Harvie created a conflict of interest. A judge rejected that petition on Monday.
Santarsiero called it the most disgraceful campaign he had ever seen in the county and said the attacks drove voters away from the incumbent. In his victory speech, Harvie described the strain the ads put on his family, including his mother and his children.
In a concession statement Wednesday morning, Fitzpatrick said his campaign had tried to unite people across party lines and wished Harvie well in representing all constituents, including those who opposed him. The Pennsylvania Republican Party said it remains committed to conservative principles despite broad losses.
A county turning blue
Bucks County's partisan balance has been shifting. Republicans gained a registration edge there in July 2024, their first in over 15 years, but Democratic sign-ups have climbed sharply since, and Democrats swept the county's row offices last year.
Harvie declared that Bucks is no longer a purple county. Santarsiero was more cautious, saying it could become reliably Democratic only if the party keeps delivering solutions that improve residents' lives.
