Bob Harvie, chairman of the Commissioners of Bucks, is running for Congress in the hope of leaving the Five -time Republican US representative Brian Fitzpatrick in 2026.
Harvie, a commissioner since 2020, was a longtime teacher of public schools in Bucks, who went down in history when the Democrats have passed the management board five years ago since 1983.
Now he will try to overtake the lonely Republicans representing the south -eastern Pennsylvania in Congress.
“I learned a lot about loving my country and community and I just don’t like the direction in which the country enters,” Harva said in an interview with Inquirer. “I think that many people have such a look, to be honest on both sides. I feel that there is not enough leadership in Washington to fight for people from the working class.”
Fitzpatrick, which was chosen four times in its purple district, which includes all Bucks and a piece of Montgomery, was one of only three Republicans in a country that won the district, which President Donald Trump lost in 2024. Trump won Bucks narrowly.
Harvie has deeply rooted ties from Bucks. His uncle was the mayor of Bristol. He is a former supervisor of the town in Falls Township, where he taught the history of high schools for 26 years. For several years he also taught American history courses at Bucks County Community College.
“He is a real public official who spent years as a teacher and generally tries to make Bucks County a better place,” said former US representative Patrick Murphy, who knew Harva since Murphy returned in 2004 to Bucks after serving in Iraq.
As the chairman of Harva, he said that he had a platform from which he can talk about federal financing cuts affecting residents when Trump introduces government changes.
“At the County level, there is a much more direct relationship with federal programming and federal financing,” he said, “whether in the rescue department, health department or development blocks of development. In the south -eastern Pennsylvania there are many concerns about what will happen when the budget is transferred.”
But Fitzpatrick has had a blockade in the district since 2016, and if he applied for re -election – probability Considering the war chest, which he recently reported in the financial reports of the campaign – serves for a decade in Congress.
“He starts with a strong position, there is no doubt about it,” said State Steve Santarsiero (D., Bucks), who is also the chairman of the Democratic Committee of the County. “But if you have a good campaign and start with a really good candidate, which is Bob, it allows you to win.”
An unexpected victory at the State House for Pennsylvania Democrats in Lancaster Last week and the race of the Supreme Court Race in Wisconsin on Tuesday Democrats hope that they can drive a wavy frustration with attempts to cut and burn Trump next year.
The party in power historically did not do well in the elections in half. Santarsiero said that he also believes that Harvie would benefit from the name of the democratic government of Josh Shapiro voting, taking into account the popularity of Shapiro during his first term and strength in previous elections in the whole state.
Harvie is already well known by local selected democrats and voters. He has less work to introduce himself to the district than a veteran Ashley Ehasz in her two unsuccessful campaigns against Fitzpatrick.
While Ehasz concentrated a immense part of her campaign on the rights of abortion and news against Trump, Harvie said that he would focus on economic issues.
“I am not a hyperpartisan person. Most of the votes that we accept as commissioners of the unit were unanimous,” he said. “We recognize that the government must provide … I think it resonates with people. They want to know that you will work for them.”
Harvie said that his pitch is also addressed to children who grew up in Bucks, went to study or army, and now the house cannot afford there. “People work harder than it seems that they should go forward, and I think there is the impression that Avenue has been closed, that there is a lack of honesty,” he said.
“If you are a good person who works hard, you should be able to take your children on vacation, not worry about medical accounts or how to care for your parents. That’s all they don’t pay enough attention to.”
His criticism of Fitzpatick was a bit muted.
“I just feel that there was not enough leadership when it comes to the fight for things that this district really needs,” he said.
As a commissioner, Harvie helped to lead the Bucks Country through Pandemia and two federal elections.
During the Senate race in 2022, he and the second Democrat on the board, Diane Ellis-Molsglia, were criticized by Republicans for voting to count the non-urgent or erroneously developed postal voting cards, which is a movement The State Supreme Court this year.
Harvie said he was standing in this vote. This week, the Federal District Court ruled that poviats should not throw off such voting cards because the problem is still working by the judicial system.
“The courts are still not sure what to do with the deficient or poorly developed voting cards,” Harva said. “It is all in flow, but when it comes to this, we want to do everything in our power to make sure that registered voters are able to vote.”
Fitzpatrick’s strength in the first district of Pennsylvania
Fitzpatrick, whose deceased brother Mike Fitzpatrick had a place at home, subtly showed where he did not agree with Trump in the second term, without directly challenging the president.
In recent months, Fitzpatrick has commented on the support of Ukraine because Trump offended the president of the country. This week, Fitzpatrick signed a letter encouraging Trump to re -consider moving to end the protection of unions for federal employees.
The Soft FBI agent was largely avoiding the media and did not organize publicly advertised town halls or events, to disappoint some voters who protested against his absence during the last parade of St. Patrick’s day.
In campaigns, he largely ignored the fact that he even had a pretender and avoided debates or public campaign events.
But holding the head down worked. During the last election cycle, the Committee of the Democratic Campaign did not call the Fitzpatrick race as one of his goals, deciding to concentrate his money elsewhere.
Santarsiero said that he expected that if Harvie managed to see a significant amount of cash in the campaign, democrats from outside the Fountain will throw this year, along with Super Pac on both sides. “At some point, the money will really be even and really come down to who performs the best work, representing his interests,” he said.
Fitzpatrick was elected No. 1 the most double -sided member of the Congress for the fifth year in a row last year by apolitical Place Center and Georgetown University. The assessments are not based on voices, but about how often the members of the Congress introduce bills that attract co -refides from the second party, and how often they transform the invoice entered from the entire passage.
Dochairs a double -sided solution to Kauck’s problems, and in recent months appeared on cable television programs alongside the democratic representative of Tom Suzzi from New York to talk about working in the transition.
In the first quarter he reported over $ 5 million cash on hand, which is a record for the district.
“We are one community – diverse, united in order,” said Fitzpatrick recently Patch.com About its incurring funds.
“This is not just a support show,” he said. “This is a call to action. Now we have to rise more than ever, more than ever noise, reject extremes and gather to set the path forward.”
