Pennsylvania Republicans Diverge on Trump in House Races
Two GOP incumbents in competitive Pennsylvania districts are campaigning with contrasting approaches to President Trump's policies ahead of the midterms.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections
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Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County has voted against some of Trump's proposals and did not receive the president's endorsement, while Rep. Scott Perry of Dauphin County received Trump's backing. The contrast comes as a national NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found 37% of likely voters have a favorable impression of Trump.
Why it matters
The divergent strategies of the two incumbents show how Pennsylvania House Republicans are weighing presidential loyalty against district-level appeal in competitive races. Their approaches offer a state-level view of how the president's standing may shape midterm contests.
A national NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found 37% of likely voters have a favorable impression of Trump, a figure that does not break out Pennsylvania voters separately. Trump won Scott Perry's Dauphin County district three times, while Brian Fitzpatrick's Bucks County race has not been tied to a presidential endorsement.
The players
Brian Fitzpatrick
Brian Fitzpatrick is a Republican U.S. representative whose Bucks County district is competitive, and who has cast votes against some of President Trump's proposals.
Scott Perry
Scott Perry is a Republican U.S. representative from Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, who received Trump's endorsement for his reelection bid.
Janelle Stelson
Janelle Stelson is the Democratic candidate challenging Republican incumbent Scott Perry in Pennsylvania's Dauphin County district.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the current President of the United States, whose endorsements and policies are shaping the competitive Pennsylvania House races.
The details
Brian Fitzpatrick, who has presented himself as a moderate since first running for office in 2016, touts that his votes against some of Trump's proposals have drawn the president's ire. Scott Perry, by contrast, received Trump's endorsement and, in a Newsmax interview, blamed the president's low poll numbers on the media. Democrat Janelle Stelson is challenging Perry.
Timeline
2016: Brian Fitzpatrick first ran to replace his brother in Congress.
November 2, 2026: Final midterm campaign pitches are being made in Pennsylvania.
Political Context
The NPR/PBS News/Marist poll's finding that 37% of likely voters nationwide view Trump favorably sets a national backdrop against which these Pennsylvania incumbents are positioning themselves. Fitzpatrick's independent-leaning votes and Perry's full embrace of the president represent two distinct responses to that national mood.
Pennsylvania voters in the Bucks and Dauphin County districts will decide between incumbents with sharply different relationships to the president's agenda. The outcome will determine which party controls each seat in the House.
The takeaway
Voters in competitive districts are weighing a candidate's independence from a president against his or her standing with the party base. How those trade-offs play out in Pennsylvania may signal how other swing districts respond to the national mood.
Further reading
For more on the state's contests, see Elections coverage for Pennsylvania.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOSU.
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