Pa. primary election: Another local race called, one still too close; how the 3rd District vote broke down

State Rep. Chris Rabb’s capture of the Democratic nomination to represent Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday marked a striking triumph for the progressive left, which has over the last decade installed democratic socialists into Philadelphia’s lower-level city and state offices, but had yet to notch such a high-profile victory.

More broadly, Tuesday’s results in the nation’s bluest district were a notable rebuke of the city’s Democratic establishment, which rallied around State Sen. Sharif Street, a more centrist Democrat.

But Street’s long list of endorsements didn’t translate to votes. And in the end, the results weren’t particularly close.

Only 22% of Philadelphia’s eligible voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary election, according to the City Commissioners.

While that means that 78% of the eligible decided to pass, that was still a significant improvement over last year’s total of 17%.

Voters in primaries could cast ballots only for candidates who are affiliated with their parties, but all were eligible to vote on the two ballot questions.

Following President Donald Trump's thinly veiled threat, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's campaign is defending his independence and willingness to vote against the president's agenda.

“Brian has said repeatedly that he does not report to any person or any party in Washington, D.C. He reports to his bosses in Bucks and Montgomery Counties," Heather Roberts, Fitzpatrick's campaign spokesperson, said in a statement. "Brian is a true independent, and he will continue to vote independent, no matter what the political cost.”

Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.) is running for reelection in the Bucks County district and didn't face a Republican challenger during Tuesday's primary. He has drawn Trump's ire for voting against several of the president's policy initiatives, including last year's "big, beautiful bill," though he did cast a key vote to advance an earlier version of the bill forward.

148th State House District

A four-way race in the Lower Merion-based district remains too close to call.

Megan Griffin-Shelley, a Pennsylvania House staffer and Whitemarsh Township supervisor, holds a slight edge over Jason Landau Goodman, an environmental lawyer and former assistant counsel in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Fresh off ousting two Republican foes in Kentucky and Georgia, President Donald Trump threatened U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks) without saying his name when asked a question by Fitzpatrick's fiancée, Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich.

"Her husband votes against me all the time. Can you imagine? I don't know what's with him. You better ask what's with him," Trump said to reporters ahead of a trip to Connecticut to deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

"She's married to a certain congressman. He likes voting against Trump," Trump added. "You know what happens with that? It doesn't work out well."

Kentucky Republican toppled by Trump

President Donald Trump scored another win Tuesday against a Republican rival, dislodging Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky’s primary and knocking out one of his most outspoken critics on Capitol Hill.

Massie has been a particularly difficult thorn in Trump’s side. He pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, opposed the war with Iran and voted against Trump’s signature tax legislation last year.

Straight off her win in the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District Tuesday night, Janelle Stelson's campaign has released a new poll showing the former TV news anchor up 6 points among a polled electorate that mostly voted for President Donald Trump in 2024.

The internal poll, conducted by strategy firm Normington Petts and shared with The Inquirer Wednesday, shows Stelson leading U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R., York), a longtime incumbent who she will face in the fall, 51%-45%.

The survey was conducted among 400 registered voters in the 10th Congressional District between April 20-23. The margin of error is +/- 4.9%. Of the respondents, slightly more than half — 51% — voted for Trump two years ago, and 46% voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris.

State Rep. Chris Rabb, a democratic socialist who has repeatedly challenged Philadelphia’s political establishment, has won the tightly contested 3rd Congressional District primary — a striking victory for the city’s left-leaning coalition after a combative and rare open contest.

The Associated Press called the race at 10:42 p.m. on Tuesday. Rabb, a five-term state lawmaker from East Mount Airy, handily defeated two other top contenders in the tight race, according to unofficial returns.

In the bluest district in the country, the result sets Rabb on an almost guaranteed path to succeeding U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who is retiring after a decade in the seat. Rabb’s election would mark a significant shift from half of Philadelphia voters being represented by a more mainstream Democratic voice to one in the most left-wing faction of Congress.

Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie won the Democratic nomination for Congress in a key suburban swing district Tuesday night, setting up a contentious matchup with incumbent U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Bucks) this fall.

Harvie defeated Lucia Simonelli a grassroots candidate and climate policy expert in the 1st Congressional District, which encompasses all of Bucks County and a small portion of Montgomery County, The Associated Press projected at 9:44 p.m.

Harvie and Fitzpatrick who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, will now face off in what will likely be one of the most-watched congressional races in the country.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and his Republican challenger, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity, have a lot to prove over the next six months.

And come November, more than the governor’s race will be on the line for them both. Shapiro, a rumored 2028 presidential aspirant, wants to deliver Democratic control of the U.S. House to flex his political muscle as Democrats seek a new standard-bearer for the party.

Garrity will need to generate excitement that draws GOP voters to the polls in key congressional districts to stop Democratic midterm gains — and prove to the state GOP that members made the right choice by endorsing her 15 months before Election Day as a more serious challenger to Shapiro.

On a blow-dryer hot Pennsylvania primary election day, voters chose nominees for key congressional races in Philadelphia and Bucks County and for the legislative campaigns that will decide who will control the state House and Senate.

But very much on the minds of those who bothered to show up at the polls were the state of the economy, Republican President Donald Trump, and a person who may make a run at succeeding him, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was unopposed for renomination.

“There will be crucial issues this November,” said Democrat Elaina Pimentel, 60, voting in Phoenixville, a Chester County town enjoying a run of prosperity. “I just think we are in a state we have not seen in a long time. … There needs to be some type of change.”