There is another vacancy in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Rep. Chris Rabb (Philadelphia) announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election to the 200th Legislative District seat to focus on the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Congressional District.
“As our campaign for Congress continues to build strong support from citizens across Philadelphia and is the first in this race to collect 1,000 petition signatures in just 12 hours, I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives,” Rabb said. “I am inspired and overwhelmed by the overwhelming support we are seeing across the city, and today I want to get the message out loud and clear: I am running for Congress.”
Rabb is one of 13 candidates for the Democratic nomination for his current position Representative Dwight Evanswho announced his retirement at the end of his term. He raised the third-largest amount in the !4 group, raising almost $127,000. But the self-described Democratic Socialist, who believes that democracy must work for everyone – not just the wealthy few, is fifth in cash at the start of the year, with just under $100,000.
“Serving Philadelphia families in the 200th House District for the past 10 years has been the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to seeing the great candidates who will run,” Rabb added. “In the coming weeks, I commit to working with other progressive leaders and advocates across the district to ensure this seat continues to be held by a true champion for Philadelphia’s working families.”
The five-term state representative says throughout his career he has challenged corporate power, promoted social justice and stood up for communities that are often ignored by political insiders.
Last week, his campaign was rocked by allegations that his former campaign treasurer, Yolanda Brown – made unauthorized withdrawals and that he reported her to federal authorities for “improper conduct.”
Brown, a campaign consultant from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was also indicted last month on charges of embezzling six-figure campaign dollars from another Democrat.
The 2026 state election cycle is being closely watched across the country. Democrats hold a shaky one-vote majority in the House, while Republicans hold a 27-23 majority in the state Senate. Governor Josh Shapiro he is running for re-election and hopes potential disagreements will lead to a trio of Democrats in Harrisburg.
Eyes are also on the Commonwealth’s congressional races as Democrats hope to flip four seats in the state and return to a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 3rd Congressional District is among the bluest in the union and is expected to remain in Democratic hands.
