Democrats in Pennsylvania backed by Gov. Josh Shapiro moved closer to their 2026 bid to flip the U.S. House after Tuesday’s Democratic primaries settled the party’s candidates in several districts the party views as winnable in the fall.
In three Pennsylvania swing districts that featured contested Democratic primaries, Shapiro-backed candidates won the nomination to face Republican incumbents in November. Janelle Stelson, Bob Harvie and Bob Brooks won their party nominations in districts where Democratic rivals had competed for the right to challenge Republican seat-holders.
Shapiro endorsed all three winners, and the governor used the moment to press Democrats’ case for November turnout. Speaking to a primary night crowd in an event space described as one where the U.S. Navy once tested G-forces on astronauts, Shapiro said, “The only way we can expect to change this is to win in November and bring some accountability back to our nation’s capital.”
In the suburban Philadelphia area, Harvie—described as a Bucks County commissioner—defeated Lucia Simonelli, a first-time candidate and climate activist, to set up a general-election matchup against Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick. Stelson, a former local television anchor and personality, beat Justin Douglas, described as a progressive minister and a Dauphin County commissioner, in a bid to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.
In the Allentown-area seat, Brooks won a four-way Democratic contest to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry. Brooks defeated former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, former Northampton County executive Lamont McClure, and former legislative aide Carol Obando-Derstine.
All four swing districts drew attention within Democratic strategy discussions, including the seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan. In that district, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti was unopposed for the Democratic nomination to face Bresnahan, who also was unopposed in the Republican primary.
The Democratic campaign focus in the swing districts also intersected with internal party competition. The AP reported that Shapiro and national Democrats promoted the candidates they backed over progressive rivals in the latest sign of a split within the party as it tries to regain power in Washington.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair, Rep. Suzan DelBene, said the party wanted “top tier” candidates who she described as the strongest to take on Republican incumbents. The three Shapiro-backed winners emerged from races that included opponents positioned on the left—Stelson and Harvie against candidates described as progressive challengers, and Brooks from a field that included multiple rivals in a four-way contest.
Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race and legislative goals remained part of the political backdrop. Shapiro, the Democratic governor, and Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity both won their primaries without facing opposition and will meet in the general election in November, with Shapiro entering the fall as a heavy favorite to win, according to the AP.
Shapiro also used his primary night remarks to urge Democrats to seek control of Pennsylvania’s Legislature for the first time in more than three decades. He said in the event that Democrats win majorities in the state Senate, they would fully fund mass transit, build more housing, and codify abortion rights into state law.
Beyond the swing districts, Democrats also moved ahead in Philadelphia’s open House seat. State Rep. Chris Rabb won the Democratic nomination, with no Republican seeking that party’s nomination, and the AP described Rabb as expected to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans. Rabb was endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and by online streamer Hasan Piker, and he drew financial backing from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, according to the report. Rabb won the Democratic primary against Sharif Street, a state senator and former state party chairman, and Dr. Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon.