State Rep. Rob Mercuri of Allegheny County has entered the race to challenge U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-17, for his western Pennsylvania seat.
Mercuri, of Wexford, a suburb of Pittsburgh, is serving his second term in the House of Representatives, where he served as a member of the Education, Finance and Government Oversight committees. He joins Jim Nelson, a retired sheriff’s deputy and pastor, in the race for the GOP nomination, which will challenge Deluzio next year.
“I’m running to protect our communities, grow our economy and fight for our future. As a veteran, I know that America is worth fighting for. As a father, I care very much about our future. As a small business owner, I know that with hard work anything is possible here,” Mercuri said in a statement on his Facebook page. “I am running for Congress to help restore the promise of prosperity to our region and revitalize the American Dream.”
Critical of his approach to withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021, Mercuri said President Joe Biden’s leadership has weakened the country and “sowed doubt in our allies.”
“As a leader trained at West Point, I know that leadership is about who we are and where we are going. It’s about caring for people and progress for our community. In Congress, I will be the representative who remembers this and will lead us forward,” Mercuri said in a press note.
Deluzio spokeswoman Zoe Bluffstone said Deluzio will continue to focus on delivering results to his constituents.
“He will continue to fight to lower costs for working families, create good-paying union jobs, protect women’s reproductive rights, take on the massive corporations that have harmed people in Western Pennsylvania, and pass legislation to keep our communities safe,” Bluffstone said. . “He can’t wait to compare this record to any anti-abortion, ass-licking corporate extremist that emerges from this ugly Republican primary.”
Deluzio defeated Republican Jeremy Shaffer in the 2022 race for the 17th District seat in the state’s primary election more high-priced races midterms in 2022 and it was identified by his own party as one of several Democrats in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation vulnerable to challenge.
During the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony, MP Pa. Deluzio says he will be the “West Pa fighter.”
The newly minted congressman seems to have slowly started fundraising; in accordance with financial disclosure records filed with the Federal Election Commission in July, Deluzio had approximately $368,000 in cash at the end of June.
The 17th District, which includes part of Allegheny County northwest of Pittsburgh and all of Beaver County, is a swing district where Republicans have a chance to take the seat in 2024.
Mercuri, like Deluzio and Nelson, is a veteran. He served in the U.S. Army, served two tours in Iraq, achieved the rank of captain and was awarded the Bronze Star.
In addition to his education at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mercuri earned a master’s degree in business administration and worked for PNC Bank. He currently owns a compact business.
As a state legislator, Mercuri has introduced bills related to education, finance, data privacy and artificial intelligence.
Deluzio is a U.S. Navy veteran and attorney. Before his election, Deluzio worked on election security at the University of Pittsburgh’s Cyber Law, Policy and Security Institute and the Brennan Center for Justice.
He was a reliable, progressive voice on issues such as: reproductive rights AND Workand sponsored legislation to tighten it safety standards following the Norfolk Southern derailment in Palestine, Ohio, earlier this year. The 17th District is just over the border in Pennsylvania, and the effects of the disaster have hit Beaver County residents.
