{"id":2603811,"date":"2026-05-18T06:33:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T10:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-the-pennsylvania-primary-races\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T06:34:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T10:34:45","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-pennsylvania-primary-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-to-know-about-the-pennsylvania-primary-races\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the Pennsylvania primary races"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhat-to-know-about-the-pennsylvania-primary-races%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2603811&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Pennsylvania voters will vote in primary elections on May 19 for key congressional and statewide races. All 17 House seats are on the ballot, alongside the reelections of Gov.josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, while several statewide primaries feature limited or no competition.<\/p>\n<p>Shapiro and Treasurer Stacy Garrity are running unopposed in their respective primaries, ensuring they advance to the November general election. Davis also faces an uncontested Democratic primary, but Republicans are competing for the right to challenge him.<\/p>\n<p>In several House races, Democrats are seeking to replace Democrats leaving open seats and to take on vulnerable Republicans. One major open seat is Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd district,where four Democrats are vying to succeed Rep. Dwight Evans. In other districts, Republicans like Brian Fitzpatrick (1st), Ryan mackenzie (7th), and Scott Perry (10th) face strong Democratic challengers. The article characterizes multiple races as competitive or toss-ups, though it notes that some election analyses expect moderate GOP candidates to hold on.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican nomination for lieutenant governor is also contested between Jason Richey and John Ventre, with Richey described as the frontrunner. The eventual winner will face davis in the November general election.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pennsylvania\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"629\">Pennsylvania<\/a> is holding its <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/primaries\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2655\">primary elections<\/a> on May 19, giving voters the opportunity to cast their ballots for key congressional and statewide races.<\/p>\n<p>All of the state\u2019s 17 <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/house\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11272\">House<\/a> seats are up for grabs this election cycle, while the governor and lieutenant governor are running for reelection.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4572206\/trump-economic-approval-poor-democrats-score-similar\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disaster-joe-bidens-economic-ratings-are-worse-than-jimmy-carters-cnn-poll-finds\/\" title=\"DISASTER: Joe Biden\u2019s Economic Ratings Are Worse Than Jimmy Carter\u2019s, CNN ... Finds\">economic approval rating<\/a> still poor, though Democrats score similarly: Poll<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4571959\/massie-panicked-trump-aipac-kentucky-primary\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Massie taunts \u2018panicked\u2019 Trump and AIPAC for going all in on Kentucky primary<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4571925\/trump-thomas-massie-worse-bill-cassidy\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump calls Thomas Massie \u2018worse\u2019 than Bill Cassidy after senator\u2019s primary defeat<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/josh-shapiro\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"5122\">Josh Shapiro<\/a> (D-PA) and Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R-PA) are running unopposed in their respective primaries, guaranteeing their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-primary-to-shape-heated-senate-battle-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Michigan ... to shape heated Senate battle ... Washington Examiner\">general election faceoff<\/a> come November. Shapiro\u2019s second-in-command is also running unopposed in the Democratic primary, but he will face one of two Republican challengers in the general election.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Apart from the upcoming gubernatorial election, here are the most notable races to watch in the Keystone State:<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-democrats-seeking-to-replace-their-own\">Democrats seeking to replace their own<\/h2>\n<p>Four Democratic candidates are vying to replace Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA), who is leaving office at the end of his fifth term. He represents Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd Congressional District, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-yorkers-head-to-the-polls-with-all-eyes-on-two-special-elections\/\" title=\"New Yorkers Head to the ...s With All Eyes on Two Special Elections\">deep blue district encompassing<\/a> a portion of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p>Evans endorsed Dr. Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon and political newcomer, to fill his open seat. Stanford <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/stanfordforcongress.com\/about\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/stanfordforcongress.com\/about\/\">prides herself<\/a> on running against President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> and his \u201cdisastrous policies,\u201d but she faces steep competition from other contenders with similar campaign messaging.<\/p>\n<p>Shaun Griffith, another political newcomer, said he decided to run for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/congress\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"31\">Congress<\/a> because he was worried that the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a> had been infringing on civil liberties. He has worked in public service for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for nearly 15 years and would bring that expertise to the office if he is elected.<\/p>\n<p>That possibility may be unlikely, however, as Griffith faces two other contenders with prior legislative experience.<\/p>\n<p>Having served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives since 2017, Chris Rabb is seeking to take his progressive platform to the federal level. Leading progressives have already endorsed Rabb, including Reps. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alexandria-ocasio-cortez\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"282\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> (D-NY) and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ilhan-omar\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1223\">Ilhan Omar<\/a> (D-MN).<\/p>\n<p>Sharif Street, who has served in the Pennsylvania State Senate for the same amount of time as Rabb, has name recognition among Philadelphia residents that helps his chances of winning. He\u2019s the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and the nephew of former State Sen. Milton Street. He also has party connections, as demonstrated by an endorsement from the Philadelphia Democratic Party.<\/p>\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/philadelphia\/ala-stanford-chris-rabb-sharif-street-poll-20260415.html\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/politics\/philadelphia\/ala-stanford-chris-rabb-sharif-street-poll-20260415.html\">recent poll<\/a> shows Stanford in the lead over Rabb and Street, but the race could be anyone\u2019s game, as the survey was skewed in Stanford\u2019s favor. The poll was conducted for 314 Action Fund, which backs Stanford as part of its wider mission to elect scientists and doctors to Congress.<\/p>\n<p>No matter which candidate wins the primary, the district will almost certainly be represented by another Democrat come next year. The <em>Cook Political Report<\/em> rates it 40+ in favor of Democrats, and there is no one running on the Republican side.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-democrats-looking-to-unseat-vulnerable-republicans\">Democrats looking to unseat vulnerable Republicans<\/h2>\n<p>There are at least a few House races in which Republicans are trying to hold on to their seats for another term.<\/p>\n<p>In Pennsylvania\u2019s 1st Congressional District, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is running unopposed in the Republican primary. Meanwhile, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie is competing with mathematician and scientist Lucia Simonelli for the Democratic Party\u2019s nomination to defeat the GOP incumbent in November.<\/p>\n<p>With support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Harvie is the likely choice to win the partisan primary.<\/p>\n<p>Fitzpatrick, who has touted his <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/fitzpatrick.house.gov\/2024\/5\/rep-fitzpatrick-ranked-1-most-bipartisan-in-nation-for-5th-consecutive-year\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/fitzpatrick.house.gov\/2024\/5\/rep-fitzpatrick-ranked-1-most-bipartisan-in-nation-for-5th-consecutive-year\">bipartisan record<\/a> over the years, is ranked among the 26 most vulnerable House GOP seats in 2026 by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/decisiondeskhq.substack.com\/p\/the-key-house-seats-in-2026-2\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/decisiondeskhq.substack.com\/p\/the-key-house-seats-in-2026-2\">Decision Desk HQ<\/a>. The <em>Bucks County Beacon<\/em>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >left-leaning news outlet<\/a>, came to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/buckscountybeacon.com\/2026\/03\/rep-brian-fitzpatricks-seat-could-decide-the-majority-in-november-he-was-just-listed-as-one-of-the-most-vulnerable-republicans-in-congress\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/buckscountybeacon.com\/2026\/03\/rep-brian-fitzpatricks-seat-could-decide-the-majority-in-november-he-was-just-listed-as-one-of-the-most-vulnerable-republicans-in-congress\/\">similar conclusion<\/a>, citing Fitzpatrick\u2019s support for tariffs and healthcare cuts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAfter nearly a decade in Washington, Brian Fitzpatrick has unleashed higher prices on Bucks and Montgomery County families and fails to stand up to Trump when it matters most,\u201d DCCC spokesperson Eli Cousin <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/dccc.org\/%F0%9F%9A%A8-brian-fitzpatrick-listed-as-one-of-the-most-vulnerable-republicans-in-congress\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/dccc.org\/%F0%9F%9A%A8-brian-fitzpatrick-listed-as-one-of-the-most-vulnerable-republicans-in-congress\/\">said in March<\/a>. \u201cHe won\u2019t be able to outrun his record.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite Democrats\u2019 confidence, the <em>Cook Political Report<\/em> says this race will likely go to the moderate Republican.<\/p>\n<p>Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) and Scott Perry (R-PA) find themselves in a similar boat as Fitzpatrick, with the DCCC also considering them two of the most vulnerable Republicans this election cycle. Both face formidable Democratic challengers.<\/p>\n<p>Mackenzie, who represents Pennsylvania\u2019s 7th Congressional District, may very well face firefighter and union leader Bob Brooks in November. With high-profile endorsements from Shapiro and Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bernie-sanders\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"41\">Bernie Sanders<\/a> (I-VT), Brooks has momentum heading into the primary against his lesser-known opponents, Lamont McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine, and Ryan Crosswell.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania\u2019s 10th Congressional District, represented by Perry, will see Dauphin County Commissioner Justin Douglas and news anchor Janelle Stelson face off in the Democratic primary. Stelson is the establishment favorite, demonstrated by the DCCC\u2019s support and Shapiro\u2019s endorsement. She also outpaces Douglas in terms of fundraising and narrowly beat Perry in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Cook Political Report<\/em> labels the races in both districts as toss-ups with no clear winner. Only time will tell if Mackenzie and Perry get unseated this fall.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-lieutenant-governor-fending-off-republican-challengers\">Lieutenant governor fending off Republican challengers<\/h2>\n<p>Lt. Gov. Austin Davis (D-PA) is seeking reelection in an uncontested Democratic primary as Republican candidates Jason Richey and John Ventre vie for the GOP nomination.<\/p>\n<p>Elected to the position in 2022, Davis became the first African American to become lieutenant governor and the first millennial to win statewide office in Pennsylvania. Before, he served as a state representative for four years.<\/p>\n<p>Davis is technically not on the same ticket as Shapiro because <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/allegations-of-dark-money-flood-spokane-amid-city-elections\/\" title=\"Allegations of dark money flood Spokane amid city elections\">state law requires candidates<\/a> for governor and lieutenant governor to run in separate primaries.<\/p>\n<p>Richey is considered the frontrunner in the Republican primary, given that Garrity, whom Trump endorsed, selected him as her top choice for lieutenant governor. Richey leads the Republican Committee of Allegheny County.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4557190\/house-democrats-eye-four-pennsylvania-seats-majority\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4557190\/house-democrats-eye-four-pennsylvania-seats-majority\/\">HOUSE DEMOCRATS EYE FOUR GOP-HELD PENNSYLVANIA SEATS IN MAJORITY QUEST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Ventre is relatively new to politics. He has not run for public office before, but has been engaged in local politics through his membership on the Westmoreland County Republican Committee.<\/p>\n<p>Whichever Republican candidate wins the primary will challenge Davis in November.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pennsylvania\u2019s May 19 primaries decide key House and statewide races<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2603812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-mktu6evyr-1778608979775-e1778609352285.jpg?1778594924&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[44377,79838,4351],"class_list":["post-2603811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-election-guide","tag-pennsylvania-primary","tag-voting"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-mktu6evyr-1778608979775-e1778609352285.jpg?1778594924&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2603811"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2603815,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2603811\/revisions\/2603815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2603812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2603811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2603811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2603811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}