The governor has poured personal funds and high-profile endorsements into contested primaries, risking intra-party backlash as he pursues a strategic path to national prominence.<\/p>\n
If Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro aims to help Democrats regain control of the U.S. House, his path could run through Pennsylvania, where he is directing his efforts to flip four districts currently held by Republicans.<\/p>\n
Shapiro has pledged to back three candidates in these districts, including one competitive primary. He also recruited an ally for the position of state party chair and donated more than $925,000 from his own account this cycle, including $400,000 in April, according to campaign data.<\/p>\n
A victory in these districts alongside the re-election of Shapiro himself could significantly boost his political profile should he seek the presidency in 2028. At the same time, it carries political risks: he is trying to help Democrats unseat long-serving incumbents and strengthen his candidate\u2019s position in the 7th District.<\/p>\n
\u201cJosh isn\u2019t the kind of person to put his name behind something without a strong push\u2026 he\u2019s not the kind to get discouraged,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 one of the Pennsylvania Democratic strategists (anonymous)<\/p>\n
The governor surprised some Democrats and disappointed others by backing Bob Brooks \u2013 the head of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association \u2013 in the race against Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.<\/p>\n
Brooks supporters say he will better appeal to the district\u2019s working-class voters than his rivals \u2013 former U.S. Attorney Ryan Crosswell, former head of the nonprofit Carol Obando-Derstine, and former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think of Josh Shapiro as a great governor, but I don\u2019t understand why he would wade into such a competitive primary,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 former U.S. Representative Susan Wild, who supports Obando-Derstine<\/p>\n
The biggest test will come in November, when Democrats need to defeat Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick, Rob Bresnahan, Scott Perry, and Mackenzie.<\/p>\n
Bresnahan and Mackenzie were elected in 2024 after defeating incumbent Democrats in tight races. Fitzpatrick and Perry have held those seats for a long time, and Democrats have repeatedly tried to tilt the field in their favor. Democrats hope for a favorable climate during the midterms to seize the initiative across all four districts. It is also noted that Donald Trump will not be on the ballot in November, which could affect turnout; Josh Shapiro himself, who won in 2022 with a 15-point margin, will top the ticket.<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernor Shapiro is fighting to keep taking steps to benefit our community and stop Washington\u2019s chaos, brutality, and corruption that hurt Pennsylvania families,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Manuel Bonder<\/p>\n
The state\u2019s most promising district is considered the 7th: Mackenzie defeated Wild in 2024 by just a one-point margin. Wild, who first flipped the district in 2018, decided not to run again.<\/p>\n
Brooks, supported by a broad range of state politicians and national circles, has made his campaign\u2019s core theme \u2013 support from Shapiro \u2013 a centerpiece. In the campaign site\u2019s \u201cred box\u201d section, it states that the most important thing is that likely Democratic primary voters learn of the governor\u2019s support for Brooks. Shapiro has already held a fundraising event in support of Brooks last year and appeared in Brooks\u2019 first television ad at the start of this month.<\/p>\n
Crosswell, the fundraising leader in the race, noted during recent debates that he has raised more money than his rivals, \u201cnot relying on other people\u2019s coalitions as a burden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patri Karlis, a Democratic volunteer from Bethlehem who supports Crosswell, criticized Brooks\u2019 emphasis on endorsements. \u201cI want to hear what they will do as congressmen, who they are as people and what issues they see,\u201d Karlis said. She also noted that she supports Shapiro\u2019s re-election, but would like to see more trust from the governor toward Democratic voters about which candidate best represents their region in the U.S. House.<\/p>\n
Shapiro said in a statement that Brooks \u201chas always supported him\u201d and he \u201cis proud to back him in this race and stand with him in the fight for a more affordable life.\u201d The governor noted that he met Brooks during firefighter union lobbying in support of firefighter benefits before the state legislature.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolitics is a dirty business \u2013 many Washington insiders who don\u2019t want more working people in government are deliberately digging up old Facebook posts,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Brooks<\/p>\n
Some Latino leaders also claim that Brooks is not actively engaging with their communities. The district has a 23% Latino population; Allentown, the largest city in Lehigh County, has about 56% Latino population. Brooks\u2019s allies, including Allentown\u2019s first Latino mayor, Matt Tuerk, say that Brooks regularly attends Latino community events. Victor Martinez, a district radio station owner, previously published that Shapiro had \u201csent the wrong message\u201d and that the governor was motivated by a desire to win firefighters\u2019 support. Shapiro\u2019s office later reached out to him, and the governor explained on air that his support was \u201cpersonal\u201d rather than political.<\/p>\n
\u201cI support Bob because I believe in him,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Josh Shapiro<\/p>\n
Regarding the primaries, expectations vary: some believe Brooks has the stronger position, while others think Crosswell could use his campaign as a vote of confidence.<\/p>\n
The Cook Political Report\u2019s analysis rates the 7th district as a \u201cswing district,\u201d as do the 8th and 10th, where Bresnahan, Perry, and others will face strong opponents. The 1st district, where Democratic Commissioner Bob Harvie challenges Fitzpatrick, is considered leaning Republican.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see Fitzpatrick as probably the toughest to beat, but over time luck may run out,\u201d said Mike Mikus, a Pennsylvania political strategist. \u201cYou can\u2019t keep pushing your luck when you\u2019re riding a wave.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Republicans express optimism: \u201cGood luck,\u201d said Chris Pack, a Republican strategist who heads the super-PAC backing Fitzpatrick, \u201cbut Democrats will have a hard time assessing their chances in all four contests.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prospects and Next Steps<\/p>\n
Fitzpatrick, a long-time incumbent and former FBI agent, has held his seat through the 2018 wave and again in 2024, when Donald Trump won the state, but his district overall leaned Republican. Democrats believe that gains in 2025, particularly in Bucks County, could bolster their candidates across the districts. Harvie is considered the stronger candidate since he represents the district and was elected in 2019 and 2023. \u201cI was asked recently: how do you get people who vote for Fitzpatrick to vote for me? My answer: I already did,\u201d said Harvie.<\/p>\n
Shapiro backs Cognetti and Stelson and, according to two sources, is close to backing Harvie in the near future. Representative Chris DeLuzio praised the governor for his active involvement in the competition: \u201cJosh Shapiro has been a great partner for me and others who are trying to restore the House of Representatives,\u201d DeLuzio noted. \u201cI know, as he does, that the majority can come through Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPolitics is a dirty business \u2013 many Washington insiders who don\u2019t want more working people in government are deliberately digging up old Facebook posts,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2013 Brooks<\/p>\n
Regarding prospects, the 7th district is considered the most promising for candidate recruitment. Mackenzie defeated Wild in 2024 by a one-point margin, and Wild decided not to run again after her 2018 victory. Brooks has the support of numerous state politicians and national circles, but his campaign is dogged by questions about his engagement with diverse communities. In Allentown, with about 56% Latino population and in the district with 23% Latino population, leaders note Brooks\u2019s active outreach to these groups. Radio station owner Victor Martinez previously said Shapiro sent the wrong message, but the governor\u2019s office explained that his support was personal, not political.<\/p>\n
Overall, Democrats expect that the 2025 midterms and successes in Bucks County will position their candidates better across the districts. In this context, Shapiro continues to work with potential candidates and back those who view him as a partner in reclaiming the U.S. House. Finally, the coming months are pivotal for Pennsylvania and national politics, as they will determine the balance in the House and Shapiro\u2019s influence on future races.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The governor has poured personal funds and high-profile endorsements into contested primaries, risking intra-party backlash as he pursues…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174731,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[78341,78342,33,78340,139,28,30,78343,29,78344],"class_list":{"0":"post-174730","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pennsylvania","8":"tag-2028-prospects","9":"tag-democratic-endorsements","10":"tag-josh-shapiro","11":"tag-josh-shapiro-pennsylvania-house-races-democratic-endorsements-primary-funding-2028-prospects","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-pennsylvania","14":"tag-pennsylvania-headlines","15":"tag-pennsylvania-house-races","16":"tag-pennsylvania-news","17":"tag-primary-funding"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174730"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174730\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}