Two congressional incumbents defeat challengers in Pennsylvania’s statewide primary

By

Mercedes Yanora

Welcome to the Thursday, April 25, Brew. 

By: Mercedes Yanora

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

  1. Two congressional incumbents defeat challengers in Pennsylvania’s statewide primary
  2. Thirty-six candidates are running for nine spots on the Lansing Charter Commission on May 7 
  3. Sixteen candidates are running in the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District

Two congressional incumbents defeat challengers in Pennsylvania’s statewide primary 

Note: Vote percentages below may change as more votes are counted. 

Pennsylvania held its primaries on Tuesday the 23rd, with voters deciding races for Congress, the state legislature, and statewide offices, including attorney general, auditor, and treasurer. 

Recaps of the primaries we were watching closely — including two in which incumbents faced primary challengers — are noted below.

  • Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District (Republican primary)
    • Incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick (R) defeated Mark Houck (R) 62% to 39%. Fitzpatrick described himself as the most independent member of Congress and his campaign as a movement fighting against hyper-partisanship. Fitzpatrick said he was uniquely qualified because of his background in the FBI as an agent. Houck described himself as a constitutionalist and conservative. He spoke about how his arrest at a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood facility in 2022 played a role in his decision to run for Congress. Fitzpatrick will face Ashley Ehasz (D) in the general.
  • Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District (Democratic primary)
    • Janelle Stelson (D) won the Democratic primary in a field of six candidates with 44% of the vote. Stelson will face Incumbent Rep. Scott Perry (R) in the general. The district is one of 33 competitive Republican-held or open districts that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting. Perry won the previous three general elections by single digits, increasing his margin-of-victory in each election from 2.6 to 6.6 to eight percentage points. Trump carried the district by a margin of 4.1 percentage points in 2020.
  • Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District (Democratic primary)
    • Incumbent Summer Lee (D) defeated Bhavini Patel (D) 61% to 39%. A central campaign issue was the candidates’ differing views on the Israel-Hamas war. For example, Lee co-sponsored a resolution calling for a cease-fire, while Patel claimed Lee’s social media posts stoked hatred and anti-semitism. Patel also attended rallies in support of Israel following the start of the conflict. Lee will face James Hayes (R) in the general.

Other elections of interest were: 

  • Pennsylvania Attorney General 
    • Both primaries for this open seat were contested, with Eugene DePasquale (D) winning the Democratic primary with 39% of the vote and Dave Sunday (R) winning the Republican primary with 69%. Muhlenberg College professor Chris Borick said of the upcoming general, “Anybody that says there’s a really strong wind at the back of either [party], I think that’s an error…I think this should be highly competitive and a very tight path.” In 2020, then-incumbent Josh Shapiro (D) defeated Heather Heidelbaugh (R) 50.9%–46.3%. Since 1980, when voters first began choosing the attorney general, Republicans won every election through 2008, while Democrats won every election since 2012.
  • Pennsylvania House of Representatives
    • Nineteen House incumbents — 11 Republicans and eight Democrats — faced primary challengers. As of this writing, two incumbents lost their primaries: James Gregory (R) of District 80 and Kevin Boyle (D) of District 172. The following two races including incumbents remained uncalled: Districts 10 and 117.  
  • Pennsylvania Senate
    • No incumbents had primary challengers.  

Pennsylvania has a divided government, meaning neither party holds trifecta control. As of April 24, there were 23 Republican trifectas, 17 Democratic trifectas, and 10 divided governments. The state is also divided when it comes to its triplex status. A triplex is when one political party holds the following state executive positions: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. There were 25 Republican triplexes, 20 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments as of April 24.

The next statewide primary is on May 7 in Indiana. 

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Thirty-six candidates are running for nine spots on the Lansing Charter Commission on May 7 

Last November, Lansing voters approved a ballot question calling for the creation of a charter commission, with 52% voting in favor. The city’s current charter, enacted in 1978, requires residents to vote on whether to create a charter commission every 12 years, with 2023 being the first time voters approved the measure. In 2011, the last time commission creation was on the ballot, 65% of voters rejected the proposal. 

An elected charter commission represents the city’s residents when drafting or revising a city charter, which operates somewhat like a constitution but for a locality. Elected charter commissions are significant because they allow citizens to have a role in framing local government, both in the stage of electing commission members and during the process of approving or rejecting a new charter once it is placed on the ballot. 

Now that the ballot measure was passed, the commission will be elected. Thirty-six candidates are running for nine spots on the commission on May 7. Once elected, the commission will have three years to recommend changes to the existing city charter.

According to the Michigan Municipal League, the state attorney general must review and the governor must approve any recommended changes. If approved, the revised charter then will appear on the local ballot for final voter approval.

Some of the 36 candidates are running as slates. 

  • On March 15, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRC) teamed up with local unions and business groups to endorse nine candidates for the charter commission. In its endorsement, the chamber said, “These endorsements aim to promote candidates who will champion the rights of workers, foster economic growth, and advocate for a government that works for everyone.” 
  • On March 28, in response to the LRC’s endorsements, a separate group of nine candidates announced they would run as a slate called the Lansing Community Alliance (LCA). In a press release, the LCA said it “represents the values of inclusivity, integrity, and community engagement” and would “ensure that city government has more checks and balances, greater accessibility, transparency, and accountability.” 

While this is Lansing’s first charter commission in more than 40 years, they aren’t entirely uncommon across the state. For example, in 2021, Detroit voters rejected a revised charter, and voters in Pontiac will decide on a revision later this year.

Ballotpedia has identified 17 city governance ballot measures this year. Looking at the last 10 years, we tracked the most city governance measures in 2020 with 81 and the least in 2017 with 14.

Click on the link below to learn more about Michigan’s 2024 elections.

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Sixteen candidates are running in the Democratic primary in Maryland’s 6th Congressional District

Throughout the year, we’ll bring you coverage of the most compelling elections — the battlegrounds we expect to have a meaningful effect on the balance of power in governments or to be particularly competitive.

Today, we’re looking at the May 14 Democratic primary for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District. Sixteen candidates are running and three lead in endorsements, polling, and fundraising: Tekesha Martinez (D), April McClain-Delaney (D), and Joe Vogel (D). McClain-Delaney’s husband, John Delaney (D), represented the district from 2013 to 2019. 

The district is open because Incumbent Rep. David Trone (D) is running for U.S. Senate. Independent election observers say the district is Likely Democratic. Trone won his last election by 10 percentage points. 

The candidates share many campaign priorities, yet national Democratic party figures have split their endorsements. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) endorsed Vogel, saying, “Joe Vogel is part of a new generation of leaders bringing fresh energy into the hard work of building coalitions and uniting people to take on the big challenges we face.” U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed McClain-Delaney, saying, “April McClain Delaney has more than 30 years of experience advocating for children’s health, wellbeing and education in the non-profit, private and public sectors. … [I] witnessed firsthand her unique ability to cut through the noise and advance children’s issues on the Hill.”

Martinez is the mayor of Hagerstown, Maryland, and a former city council member. She is running on her A Woman’s Agenda policy platform covering “women’s rights…the interlacing stresses of climate change, racial injustice, and public safety.” 

McClain-Delaney is a former U.S. Department of Commerce official and nonprofit executive. McClain-Delaney said she would focus on the challenges of “a high cost of living, the impact of AI and technology on work and on families, a need to fix immigration, protect women’s reproductive freedoms, climate change, and yes, hyperpartisanship and a lack of dialogue ripping apart communities.”

Vogel is a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 17 since 2023. Vogel said he has a record of advocating for increased firearms regulations, reduced regulations on abortion, and LGBT rights. 
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