NEWTOWN, Pa. — Democrat Bob Harvie has unseated Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, flipping one of the most closely watched House seats in the country.
The Associated Press called the race for Harvie at 12:37 a.m. Wednesday. With about 98% of the estimated vote counted, Harvie led 52.7% to 47.3%, according to unofficial results.
The district covers all of Bucks County and part of Montgomery County. Fitzpatrick, a five-term incumbent, had not publicly conceded as of early Wednesday reporting.
Victory night in Newtown
Harvie claimed victory at an election night party hosted by the Bucks County Democratic Committee. He told supporters the night marked “a point in history where America has turned.”
He said his 18-month campaign was about rebuilding the American dream for working families. Harvie also said the result reflected voters’ views of Fitzpatrick as much as of President Donald Trump.
A hard-fought race
Most polls showed a dead heat, and the Cook Political Report moved the race from Lean Republican to Toss Up late in the campaign. House Democrats had named the seat a top pickup target.
Harvie ran on affordable health care, public education, local job growth and reproductive rights. He tied Fitzpatrick to Trump’s agenda and rising costs, and criticized him for not holding public town halls.
The campaign turned messy at times. Harvie sent a cease-and-desist letter over attack ads he called defamatory.
Who is Bob Harvie?
Harvie, 54, is a Bristol native and chairs the Bucks County Board of Commissioners. He taught social studies in public schools for more than two decades. He campaigned on a platform he called the “New Fair Deal for Working Families.”
Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, first won the seat in 2016 and was seeking a sixth term.
