Pennsylvania’s 17-member House of Representatives delegation gains two members from the Republican Party on Friday.
Republicans rode the red tide to win all three of the state’s most competitive House races, with U.S. Rep. Scott Perry retaining his seat in central Pennsylvania and Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan ousting two Democratic incumbents – U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, who served three terms and Matt Cartwright, who served six terms.
Mackenzie and Bresnahan will be sworn in on Friday, bringing the number of Pennsylvania Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to 10. There are seven Pennsylvania Democrats in the House.
“It’s surreal, very dynamic, humbling, overwhelming and emotional all at the same time,” Bresnahan said outside the House chamber, just before entering the chamber with U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Lebanon).
Bresnahan reiterated his plan to support U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) for House Speaker. New House members will not be able to take the oath of office until a speaker is elected.
“I hope for a quick, quick and final resolution,” Bresnahan said.
This year, the chamber is controlled by Republicans, the least in history. Republicans enter the recent Congress with 219 seats in the House of Representatives, while Democrats have 215 (one seat in Florida is currently vacant after the resignation of former Republican Matt Gaetz).
“With razor-thin House majorities, these two seats won in Pennsylvania are critical,” said GOP strategist Charlie Gerow, predicting that Bresnahan and Mackenzie will be “key players” in Washington.
Both men represent some of the purplest parts of the state. Voters in the Lehigh Valley and northeastern Pennsylvania moved to the right in the presidential election and chose Mackenzie (44) and Bresnahan (34) for Congress.
“It shows the direction this region is going,” GOP political consultant Vince Galko said of his party’s victories in the region. “And both of them will lower the average age of Congress, which is a good thing.”
Both races were extremely close, with Democrats outperforming Vice President Kamala Harris. Bresnahan won by just 1.6 percentage points and Mackenzie won by about one point.
With a slim majority, Republicans will have to vote unanimously or engage Democrats to change the rules.
“They come from areas that are prone to change, so hopefully they can reach a little compromise in the House as well,” Galko said.
» READ MORE: In 2024, Pennsylvania’s political pendulum has swung toward Republicans. Will it stay that way?
Bresnahan will join the Problem Solvers Club
Bresnahan brought his fiancée Chelsea Strub, his parents and his grandmother to the Capitol for the swearing-in. The businessman defeated Cartwright in northeastern Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, which covers Wayne, Pike and Lackawanna counties, as well as part of Luzerne County.
Bresnahan, 34, is a fifth-generation Northeastern Pennsylvanian. He lives in Dallas, Luzerne County, and during his campaign he touted his ties to the area, even mentioning that he had a plot reserved at the local cemetery. He is the CEO of his family’s electrical contracting business and founded RPB Ventures to renovate buildings in downtown Pittston.
The first-time candidate campaigned on border security, cutting government spending and lowering taxes. He said he would not support cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits or raising the retirement age.
Last month, Bresnahan said in an interview that he was willing to implement Trump’s agenda but wanted to “consider it on a case-by-case basis,” acknowledging that border security was his top priority. He supports completing the border wall and wants to make sure border officials have the necessary resources to prevent fentanyl from entering the country.
He announced that he will join the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus, co-chaired by U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R, Pa.). U.S. Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D, Pa.) and Dan Meuser (R, Pa.) are also members.
Bresnahan said, “there is no letter R or D next to my name; the letters are NEPA,” referring to the acronym for Northeast Pennsylvania.
» READ MORE: Dave McCormick is sworn in today as Pennsylvania’s newest senator
Mackenzie focuses on border issues
Mackenzie, who served in the House for 12 years, unseated Wild from the Lehigh Valley’s 7th Congressional District, which includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties, as well as a petite portion of southwestern Monroe County.
Mackenzie, 44, traces his lineage to the region for nine generations, to when his ancestors joined the Northampton County militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. He was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2012 and lives in Lower Macungie Township in Lehigh County.
After his victory last month, Mackenzie said he was committed to passing legislation on immigration, the economy and foreign policy, but was aware of the obstacles that could stand in Republicans’ way. He expressed hope that Trump would take action via executive order on issues such as immigration.
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Mackenzie, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, emphasized dissatisfaction with inflation and security along the U.S.-Mexico border during his campaign. He said he wants to “expand the required use” of E-Verify to ensure only people with legal documentation are hired. He said he would encourage energy production and opposes plans “that prioritize a radical climate agenda over the realities of safe, clean and affordable American energy.”
In October, Mackenzie announced a package of bills in the House of Representatives, including ones he sponsored, that seek to create a tax credit for paid family and medical leave, mandate the exploit of E-Verify, and protect health care workers who report workplace violence .
His campaign also said he wanted to fund the hiring of more U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, as well as punish doctors who overprescribe opioids.
During his election campaign, Congress should only support organizations and nonprofits “that share our American values” and “there will be no more taxes on people who hate our country and what we stand for.” He said he supported the REINS Act, which requires Congress to approve regulations for major agencies, and he did has already passed the House.
