HARRISBURG — Four Pennsylvania races will help determine which party controls the U.S. House and sets the political agenda for the next two years.
Spotlight PA spoke to voters in three of those critical congressional districts: the 1st, 7th, and 10th. They’re weighing their options against the issues that matter to them, like the economy, the war in Iran, and anti-corruption policies.
Midterm elections generally draw fewer voters than presidential elections, though turnout rose in the last two midterms and could continue to rise this November.
“I think it's just because the nature of the races are more competitive, and there seems to be more at stake,” said Berwood Yost, a pollster at Franklin & Marshall College. “I think that’s part of it.”
All three districts, located in suburban areas of the commonwealth, are currently represented by Republicans. Below, hear from voters about why and how they made their choices.
1st Congressional District
Located outside Philadelphia, in the southeastern corner of the commonwealth, the 1st Congressional District covers all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County. Of the nearly 575,000 registered voters in the district, about 40% are Democrats, 41% are Republicans, and 18% are unaffiliated, according to state data.
Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, seeks his sixth term. His campaign platform features 14 different issues, including government and immigration reform, as well as preserving Medicare and Social Security, and protecting LGBTQ residents from discrimination.
During his tenure in the House, Fitzpatrick has distanced himself from President Donald Trump, positioning himself as an independent-minded Republican. He voted against Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and Canada tariffs, but only after moving several times to prevent such a vote from happening on the latter issue. He also voted to end the war in Iran after rejecting previous such efforts for being premature and too broad.
Democratic candidate Bob Harvie, a Bucks County commissioner and former public school teacher, is campaigning on his “New Fair Deal for Working Families” platform. The 12-priority agenda includes healthcare reform, middle-class tax cuts, and anti-corruption policies. He opposes the war in Iran and Trump’s tariffs.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” in early October.
Leonard Hill, 70, of Bensalem, Bucks County, grew up in a family of Democrats, but said he “converted,” switching his registration to Republican more than a decade ago. Hill retired from SEPTA and is still a member of the Transport Workers Union.
“Today’s Republican Party is different,” he told Spotlight PA, adding that his support for Trump began “when he ran and started talking about the immigration problem and the economy and things like that, he started making sense.”
Even though Hill now aligns with many of Trump’s and the Republican Party’s positions, he does disagree on some issues, he said.
“I don't agree with the way [Trump] handled the war,” he said. “I do think you had to go to war with Iran, but he's dragging it on and on and on, and he's messing the economy up.”
“So just because I support him doesn't mean I agree with everything he does and says. Because I've talked to people and I’ve been accused of being in a cult, which is ridiculous. But I just think that he has the best policies, even though I don't agree with everything he does.”
Hill plans to vote for all Republican candidates, including Fitzpatrick, even though he believes the representative has voted too often with Democrats (being bipartisan is “normally a good thing,” he said, but the party is too liberal).
“I don't like him at all, but he's a Republican,” Hill said, noting he voted in the primaries against Fitzpatrick the past three years. “And the guy Bob Harvie — I don't like him worse. So I'm just holding my nose for Brian Fitzpatrick.”
Another registered Republican, Ed Hartzel, 47, of Perkasie, Bucks County, told Spotlight PA he has “always had difficulty when it comes time to vote for Fitzpatrick,” even though he has in the past and plans to do so again in November.
Hartzel, a professional firearms instructor and a Second Amendment advocate, said, “I was planning on voting Republican, and very rarely will I ever cross the aisle. I have been known to do so, but when it comes to voting, Fitzpatrick had my vote already.”
Asked if there are parts of Fitzpatrick’s platform that he agrees with, he said the representative is “a very agreeable person,” adding that “he's done a good job, in my observation here, for his lengthy run that he has had. It would just be nice if he did a better job.”
Hartzel disagrees with Fitzpatrick when it comes to Second Amendment issues, he said. But, even so, he’s still supporting the Republican over Harvie.
“My individual perspective needs to be weighed against the good of it all, and if any even slight conservative could hold the seat, I'm going to help that happen,” he said.
Peter Gower, 68, of Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, grew up in a family of Republicans, and voted that way before switching his registration to Democratic in the 1990s.
“The Republican Party has lost their way,” he told Spotlight PA, noting changes in the party's positions on trade and family values. “So until they make a 180-degree turn — absolutely not. No, I just think that the current administration is the most incompetent administration ever, unqualified administration ever.”
Gower, who has worked in international trade and authored a book on the subject, Broken Bridges, out next month, is voting for Harvie.
“I can't say that I'm all that knowledgeable about all the local issues here in Bucks County, but I don't think that Fitzpatrick has done a lot for the county and has voted a lot on Trump issues the last couple years that he's been in office,” he said. “I know Bob Harvie's a school teacher and he cares a lot about the community. So, just [on] those things alone, I tend to favor him.
“Overall, the Democratic platform and what they're for, which is more universal healthcare, a little bit more equality, I just agree on those issues.”
Gower’s not in favor of the war in Iran, saying there’s “no reason” for it.
“I grew up as a Republican, so it's not about defending our country,” he said, adding that his father served in the Navy, and that his son is a fighter pilot in the same branch. “I'm very patriotic that way, but it's just all about money and power at the moment, so it's pretty sad. Congress is broken. Period.”
He’s also paying attention to anti-corruption issues, and said he’s in favor of term limits and banning stock trading for members of Congress, as well as campaign finance reform.
“A lot of corporations really have a lot of influence on our congressmen through the lobbying groups and the money they're paid — it's just a shame,” he said. "They're only worrying about looking after themselves and keeping their office.”
7th Congressional District
The 7th Congressional District covers Lehigh and Northampton Counties, including Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, as well as all of Carbon County and part of Monroe County. Of the nearly 547,000 registered voters in the district, about 42% are Democrats, 38% are Republicans, and 21% are unaffiliated, according to state data.
Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who was a member of the state House from 2012 until he was elected to Congress, seeks a second term. His “12 Priorities to Help You” include tax relief, healthcare, housing, and immigration reform, as well as banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
Mackenzie, who in 2024 flipped the seat that Democrat Susan Wild had held for three terms, voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” co-sponsored a bill to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, and voted in favor of reinstating enhanced Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.
He faces Democratic candidate Bob Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. Brooks’ “Put the Fire Out in Washington” platform includes healthcare reform, tax increases for the “ultra-wealthy,” raising the minimum wage, lowering housing and childcare costs, and protecting reproductive rights.
The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat” in early October.
Registered Democrat Deidre Lovell, 70, of Easton, Northampton County, was on the fence about her choice in the race, but decided to vote for Brooks.
“I'm going to vote Democratic because every time we have a Republican Senate, Congress, and president, our economy runs haywire,” she said. “We become involved in international incursions.”
Lovell, a retired educator and a performance artist, told Spotlight PA that while she is frustrated with how Republican leaders are running the country, she feels disillusioned about the political system overall.
“Politicians seem to be in office to serve themselves,” she said. “We are the funders of their extravagances and their desires. What our country needs and what the people deserve are not what we're getting. We deserve infrastructure. We deserve clean air, water, and food. We deserve transportation that works. We deserve roads that are safe. We deserve opportunities for children. We deserve education.”
Asked why she thinks it’s important to cast a ballot when she’s not very supportive of either candidate, she said, “Because if we don't, there won't be a vote in this country.”
“I don't care what side, what party they are. For me, they're all the same,” Lovell said. “The lesser of two evils? I don't know. But I have to exercise my vote and see if we can still get some semblance of truth out of somebody.”
10th Congressional District
The 10th Congressional District, located in the south-central part of the commonwealth, covers the entirety of Dauphin County, including Harrisburg, in addition to portions of Cumberland and York Counties. Of the nearly 546,000 registered voters in the district, 37% are Democrats, 43% are Republicans, and 20% are unaffiliated, according to state data.
Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Perry seeks an eighth term, facing Democratic candidate Janelle Stelson, a former TV news anchor. It’s a rematch of the 2024 election, when Stelson lost by 1.3% of the vote.
Perry, a small business owner before he was elected to the House, is campaigning on 11 different issues. His platform includes lowering taxes and reducing government regulation, protecting Medicare and Social Security, healthcare reform, and defunding Planned Parenthood.
During his tenure, Perry has supported cutting taxes and limiting government reach. In his most recent term, he voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and co-sponsored bills that would eliminate the IRS and ban members of Congress from trading stocks, as well as a joint resolution imposing term limits. He also voted against reinstating enhanced Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.
He was investigated for his role in helping Trump plan how to stay in office after his 2020 defeat, an effort that culminated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Stelson’s platform includes a dozen priorities, including middle-class tax cuts, healthcare reform, protecting access to abortion, and stricter rules for data centers. She also has a “Fighting Washington Corruption Priorities” plan, which includes campaign finance reform, banning members of Congress from trading stocks and lobbying, as well as imposing term limits.
The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat” in early October.
Barclay Fitzpatrick, 65, of Camp Hill, Cumberland County, is a registered Republican, but plans to cast his ballot for Stelson.
Fitzpatrick, a former senior executive for a variety of Fortune 100 companies who is now retired, told Spotlight PA he used to be independent, but registered as a Republican as he aged and became more conservative.
He’s decided to vote for Stelson because she’s “community-minded,” and he has “an awful hard time getting past” Perry’s role in helping Trump plan how to stay in office after his 2020 defeat, as well as Perry’s support for the war in Iran.
Fitzpatrick, who grew up working for his father’s trucking business, said the war, which is driving up the cost of diesel, is hurting truckers and the residents who buy the goods they haul.
“Perry keeps voting again and again against the War Powers Act to keep the Iran War going, so if you drive a truck, you're in trouble,” he said. “You're having a hard time making ends meet, much less all the things that those trucks carry, because in our society we do truckloads to stores, and so everything carried by that truck is more expensive.”
He decided to vote for Stelson, who he first met at a charity function two decades ago, after seeing her platform, he said, citing her positions on affordable housing and protecting Social Security and Medicare.
“What I respect about her platform is it's all there in black and white,” Fitzpatrick said. “She put it up on her website. It's like you don't have to try to figure it out. She's not out there just pumping sound bites out and nasty messages. She put her agenda right up there.”
Christian Gearhart, 28, of Harrisburg, Dauphin County, is unaffiliated, but favors Stelson.
“The way politics are, who knows what the right decision is these days,” he told Spotlight PA. “But seeing what's going on right now, I think I'll be leaning back towards voting Democrat.”
Gearhart, who works in telecommunications after serving in the Navy, said he voted for Trump in the last election and he’s “entirely disappointed.”
“I just feel like nothing's been done,” he said. “The war in Iran, the economy in general, just the way he carries himself and composes himself.”
Asked which parts of Stelson’s platform he agrees with, Gearhart said, “I don't like Scott Perry — I would say that's the number one thing. I probably should look more into it, but yeah, I just don't like the other guy.”
The already contentious race has become even more so in the final weeks, with Perry’s campaign running ads accusing Stelson of “walking around outdoors” with her “breasts and buttocks fully exposed and in plain sight” of a neighbor’s grandchild. Stelson’s camp told PennLive the allegation was fabricated and called it a “pathetic, desperate attempt by Scott Perry to rescue his failing campaign.”
Fitzpatrick told Spotlight PA he saw the ad and reporting from news outlets after it aired. He described it as “horrible” and “disgusting," saying that, if anything, it “seals Perry’s fate."
“It gets hard to be a Republican when you see that," he said. "When you think it can’t go any lower, it goes lower."
Gearhart had not seen the ad when asked by Spotlight PA on Oct. 27 and still is leaning toward Stelson.
Governor’s race
All of the voters Spotlight PA spoke with plan to vote for the gubernatorial candidate of the same political party as their choice for U.S. House.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is running for a second term, facing Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
Hill told Spotlight PA he’s going to cast his ballot for Garrity, even though he thinks Shapiro is “a good Democrat,” describing him as “like the Democrats from the old days.”
“She's a Republican, and I think, in this day and age, I think you need more Republicans to run the government,” Hill said. “That may change in 10 years … I believe that right now we need today's Republican Party. I think it’s better for the government than today's Democratic Party.”
Hartzel described Shapiro as a “fantastic politician” and said “he hasn’t done terribly for the state,” but he’s “looking for somebody who can do better” and plans to vote for Garrity.
“She seems like she's an approachable person that maybe hasn't taken on the full facade and makeup of the career politicians yet, so that's always a breath of fresh air,” he said.
Gower is voting for Shapiro, he said, adding, “I think he's a great governor.”
“I think Shapiro has done a great job,” he said. “I think I like how he stands on issues. He's well-spoken. Garrity, I don't know that much about.”
Fitzpatrick said he will probably vote for Shapiro “because Stacy Garrity is too much of a MAGA-hat wearing pick like Trump, and not, in my opinion, realistic in her perspectives about what can and can't be done.”
“Shapiro, I think, is pretty straightforward, pretty honest, and is trying to make sure that the right thing gets done,” he said. “You always have to take anything any politician says with a grain of salt, but I try to pick the one I think is being truthful and honest. And unfortunately, that's a somewhat scarce commodity in the Republican Party these days.”
Gearhart is inclined to vote for Shapiro, and told Spotlight PA he’s “only heard good things about him, or I guess I haven't heard bad things about him, which says a lot in politics today.”
Spotlight PA reached out to voters who responded to a Franklin & Marshall poll and said they were willing to speak to the media. The news outlet was unable to reach any voters in the 8th Congressional District, which is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report.
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