Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1st District) continues to outpace Democratic rival Ashley Ehasz in fundraising, according to the first campaign finance reports since a rematch for the suburban Philadelphia seat was called in the April primary.
Fitzpatrick’s campaign raised $855,000 between April 4 and June 30, while Ehasz picked up just under $770,000.
Fitzpatrick’s second-quarter results were a slight step back compared previous quarterwhen his campaign raised $1 million from early January to April 3.
The latest earnings report is the strongest for Ehasz so far this cycle. Its previous best result was in Q1, when it raised just under $670,000.
Fitzpatrick has spent significantly more than Ehasz in the past three months and during the 2024 campaign. The Bucks County Republican spent just over $640,000 between April 4 and June 30, for a total of $2.7 million in the entire election cycle so far. Ehasz spent just over $255,000 between April 4 and June 30. That’s part of the more than $855,000 Ehasz has spent since announcing their current offer for office in April 2023.
Fitzpatrick has raised $5.13 million so far this election cycle, the second-highest total for the state’s congressional delegation, behind only the U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-8th District), who raised $5.66 million.
Since announcing her candidacy in April 2023, Ehasz has raised $2.14 million, which is more than any other non-incumbent Democrat running for U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania this campaign.
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Fitzpatrick, who was first elected to Congress in 2016, fended off a second primary challenge in April, defeating Mark Houckanti-abortion activist, by 23 points.
Ehasz, a U.S. Army veteran, was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. This is her second attempt to unseat Fitzpatrick; he defeated her in 2022. for almost 10 points.
Fitzpatrick entered July with a significant cash advantage over Ehasz. His campaign began the month with $3.86 million in cash, the third-most of any incumbent in the state. Ehasz’s campaign had $1.33 million in cash as of July 1, more than any other challenger in the state this cycle.
Both candidates have significantly more cash on hand compared to this point in 2022. Fitzpatrick’s campaign had $1.02 million in cash as of July 1, 2022while Ehasz’s campaign he had just over $145,000which indicates that the current race promises to be costly.
Bucks County, which makes up the expansive majority of the district, is widely considered to be the only purple county in the Philadelphia suburbs.
Fitzpatrick is the only Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives delegation in the state. represent a district that Joe Biden won in 2020. He is also the only Republican incumbent who has not yet announced who he is supporting for president. In 2016, Fitzpatrick said he wrote in Mike Pence for president, but voted for Donald Trump in 2020.
Trump visited the district in April for a fundraiser. This is It is unclear whether Fitzpatrick was present.
Ehasz, however, was present at events promoting her party’s presidential candidate. She spoke at Biden’s Bucks County rally featured California Gov. Gavin Newsom as keynote speaker July 6.
As in previous cycles, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) nominated Fitzpatrick for his original list of seats turn around in 2024.
Three national rating agencies, Cook Political Report, Inside the ElectionsAND Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ballrates the 1st Congressional District race as “likely Republican.”
