U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick wins reelection, defeating Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz in race representing Bucks County
The incumbent Republican beat Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz for his fifth term in the House of Representatives.
U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican, won his fifth term in Congress Tuesday night after defeating Democrat and Army veteran Ashley Ehasz.
The former FBI agent who has staked his political reputation on being moderate won his rematch against Ehasz to represent Bucks County.
Fitzpatrick, 50, ran a quiet campaign, avoiding the media and questions about whether he supported Donald Trump.
His reelection is yet another show of force for the Republicans in the purple county. Fitzpatrick managed to retain the seat he has held since 2017, even as Republican lawmakers in Philadelphia’s other collar counties lost their races to Democratic challengers.
Fitzpatrick thanked supporters in a statement and pointed to their “values of unity, bipartisanship and independence.”
“I will continue to work tirelessly to represent all of us, our one community, as a bridge-builder, well into the future as the #1 Most Independent Member of Congress, as we seek to build consensus and collaboration, while consistently exposing the forces that seek to divide our community,” he said. “We are so lucky to live in the most vibrant community in America, one that I’ve been so proud to call home for my entire life.”
Fitzpatrick had received 55.9% of the vote to Ehasz’s 43.1%, with 99% of the expected vote in. This was Ehasz’s second consecutive bid to oust Fitzpatrick from his seat.
Fitzpatrick has built a reputation as an independent-minded Republican, putting distance between himself and Trump, even as he often avoided outright criticism of the former president.
Ehasz said in a statement Wednesday that it was “a dark morning in America,” calling on Fitzpatrick to “stand up for our democracy and the hundreds of thousands of women he represents to protect our freedom.”
“As a combat veteran who put my life on the line for our country, I will always fight for our democracy and to secure equal rights — for all of us,” Ehasz said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee congratulated Fitzpatrick on his victory, highlighting his “proven record of reaching across the aisle to get things done for his district.”
”Voters know Rep. Fitzpatrick will continue to fight relentlessly in Congress to ensure Pennsylvania communities are safe, prosperous and free,” NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement.
This year, Democrats hoped that Trump being back on the ballot alongside a message about abortion rights would help propel Ehasz, 36, to victory.
But national Democrats did not devote the same amount of resources to Ehasz’s race as they did to other competitive districts and the Democratic challenger largely relied upon the same messaging she used in her failed 2022 campaign.