Bob Harvie Wins Democratic Primary & Will Face Brian Fitzpatrick In Congressional Race

Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie claimed victory Tuesday night in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District.

Speaking at an election night celebration alongside Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis in Warminster Township, Harvie’s campaign declared they had secured enough votes to carry the primary.

Harvie, a former Falls Township supervisor and Bucks County Technical High School social studies teacher, defeated mathematician and former U.S. Senate advisor Lucia Simonelli.

Harvie, who serves as the vice chairperson of the commissioners, had the backing of both the governor and the county Democratic party.

“We need a congressman that actually wants to work for the people of this district,” Harvie told this news organization. “I’m working for my community and I’m going to keep doing that.”

With the primary behind him, Harvie now turns his attention to the November general election, where he will challenge five-time Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.

“The truth is that Brian Fitzpatrick has perfected the art of the meaningless gesture. He talks like a moderate in Bucks County, then sides with Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans when they need his vote the most,” Harvie said.

The general election matchup will decide who represents the First Congressional District, one known for its moderate electorate that encompasses all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.

National Democrats view the seat as a key pickup opportunity as they look to earn midterm success this November.

“Harvie is the strongest candidate to take on Brian Fitzpatrick and stand up to the Trump administration,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene said in a statement released prior to the primary.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted the district as one of only a few Republican-held seats nationwide.

National Democrats are working to flip the district to win back U.S. House control and provide oversight over President Donald Trump and his administration.

As of the most recent filing, Fitzpatrick had $7.3 million in his campaign account and Harvie had $604,429.

Harvie, a Bristol Borough native, spent nearly two decades on the Falls Township Board of Supervisors. He later helped flip the Bucks County Board of Commissioners to a Democratic majority and later won a second term.

Throughout the primary, Harvie focused his messaging on Fitzpatrick, arguing that local voters are ready for a change. He criticized the incumbent for “falling in line” with Washington party leadership despite maintaining a reputation as a moderate at home.

Harvie has campaigned by telling voters his history of bipartisan problem-solving in county government will be a benefit if elected to Congress.

Fitzpatrick ran unopposed in Tuesday’s primary, marking the first time in his congressional career that he did not face a primary opponent.

The Republican congressman, a former FBI special agent, has already launched attack ads against Harvie. The advertisements attempt to tie the Democratic commissioner to an FBI investigation that looked at Falls Township government, a local union, the Pennsbury School District, and other entities. Harvie testified before a grand jury during the probe, but no one was ever charged and Harvie was never accused publicly of wrongdoing.

“Bob Harvie is an out-of-touch career politician who has made it clear where his allegiances lie – with Democrats in Washington, not Pennsylvanians. Pennsylvania deserves a leader who will fight for them, not a hack with a record of corruption and being a rubber stamp for the left’s high tax agenda,” said Republican Nation Committee Chairman Joe Gruters.

Simonelli posted a video conceding the race and congratulating Harvie.

“We have made it clear where we stand – on the side of working people,” Simonelli said. “While we didn’t win this election, we are proud of what we accomplished.”

The district, which is watched as a national bellwether, was most recently represented by a Democrat when former Rep. Patrick Murphy defeated Fitzpatrick’s older brother, Mike Fitzpatrick, in 2006. Murphy served two terms before the late Mike Fitzpatrick won it back in 2010.

Jamie Frost Remmey is running as the Libertarian candidate for the district.

The Democratic primary was crowded, but other candidates dropped after the signature period in winter. The race, earlier this year, included Robert Strickler, Michael Zeltakalns, Thomas Taft, and William Wagner.