This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania was March 10, 2026.

Rep. Summer Lee (D) is the only incumbent running in a contested primary this year. That's the fewest number of incumbents running in a contested primary since 2014. There were three incumbents in contested primaries in 2024, two in 2022, two in 2020, six in 2018, four in 2016, and two in 2014.

Six primaries — five Democratic and one Republican — are contested this year. In total, there were six contested primaries in 2024, 11 in 2022, 11 in 2020, 21 in 2018, nine in 2016, and nine in 2014.

Forty-three candidates — 26 Democrats and 17 Republicans — are running for Pennsylvania’s 17 congressional districts. That’s 2.5 candidates per district. There were 2.7 candidates per district in 2024, 2.8 in 2022, 2.8 in 2020, 4.7 in 2018, 2.4 in 2016, and 2.6 in 2014. Pennsylvania had 17 congressional districts in the 2026, 2024, and 2022 election cycles. It had 18 congressional districts in all other cycles from 2014 to 2020.

Not among the candidates running is incumbent Rep. Dwight Evans (D), who is retiring from public office. As a result, the 3rd Congressional District is open this year. There were no open districts in 2024, two in 2022, none in 2020, seven in 2018, two in 2016, and two in 2014.

The 3rd Congressional District is also guaranteed to Democrats because no Republicans will appear on the ballot. Democrats filed to run in all 17 districts, meaning none are guaranteed to Republicans.

Five candidates — four Democrats and incumbent Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R) — are running in the 7th Congressional District. That’s the most candidates running for a district this year.

Pennsylvania and five other states — Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, and Oregon — are holding U.S. House primaries on May 19, 2026.

In Pennsylvania, the winner of a primary election is the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes, even if they do not win an outright majority of votes cast.