GOP flips 2 US House seats in Pennsylvania, as Republican Scott Perry wins again
Republicans have knocked off Democrats in two perennially contested U.S. House seats in eastern Pennsylvania while U.S. Rep. Scott Perry has survived a challenge in southern Pennsylvania
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Republicans knocked off Democrats in two perennially contested U.S. House seats in eastern Pennsylvania while U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, one of the hardest right members of the chamber, survived a challenge in a southern Pennsylvania district with more moderate politics.
The defeats of sixth-term Rep. Matt Cartwright and three-term Rep. Susan Wild came as the GOP's U.S. House majority hung in the balance and Democrats seek a last line of resistance to Donald Trump's second-term White House agenda.
The Republican victories also ensure that the GOP has recaptured a majority of the state's congressional delegation since the party lost it in a slate of 2018 defeats.
Republican Rob Bresnahan, a first-time candidate and developer who runs a family construction company, beat Cartwright in a district around Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Meanwhile, Ryan Mackenzie, a member of the state House of Representatives, beat Wild in a district around Allentown.
Both districts hold narrow Democratic registration advantages, but Republicans have heavily funded challengers to Cartwright and Wild for years in hopes of beating them.
Cartwright was one of just five Democrats nationally to run for reelection in districts won by Trump in 2020, and the region has notably embraced Trump's politics since the president-elect first ran for president in 2016.
The sixth-term Perry beat Democrat Janelle Stelson, a first-time candidate and longtime local TV news anchor who is a Republican-turned-Democrat.
Perry was chairman of the Freedom Caucus, a hardline faction of conservatives whose politics aren't necessarily reflective of the fast-growing district around the cities of Harrisburg and York. Republicans hold a slight registration advantage in the district.
Perry also has the distinction of being the only lawmaker to have his cellphone seized by FBI agents investigating the web of Trump loyalists who were central to his bid to remain in power in 2020.
Perry has not been charged with a crime.
Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, 14 other incumbents were reelected.
That included Democrats Brendan Boyle and Dwight Evans of Philadelphia; Mary Gay Scanlon, Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan of suburban Philadelphia; and Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio from the Pittsburgh area.
Republicans who were reelected were Guy Reschenthaler, Mike Kelly, Glenn Thompson and John Joyce from western Pennsylvania, as well as Dan Meuser, Lloyd Smucker and Bryan Fitzpatrick from eastern Pennsylvania.
___
Follow Marc Levy at twitter.com/timelywriter.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.