{"id":196247,"date":"2026-05-19T03:25:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T03:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/196247\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T03:25:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T03:25:19","slug":"the-2026-pennsylvania-congressional-primaries-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/196247\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2026 Pennsylvania congressional primaries to watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n 3rd Congressional District<\/p>\n

Most of Center City and parts of North and West Philadelphia<\/p>\n

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Screenshot, Wikipedia<\/p>\n

TLDR: Sharif Street has the name recognition and establishment backing on his side, but Chris Rabb\u2019s progressive streak combined with Ala Stanford\u2019s potential spoiler role makes this anyone\u2019s game.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Incumbent: None \u2013 U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans is retiring<\/p>\n


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Candidates: Shaun Griffith, Chris Rabb, Ala Stanford, Sharif Street<\/p>\n


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What you need to know: Dwight Evans\u2019 retirement creates an opening in the most partisan congressional district in the nation for the first time in a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Given the district makeup, the Democratic primary field initially rose to as many as a dozen. The field narrowed throughout the last few months, with three front-runners leading the way as the May primary election approaches: Dr. Ala Stanford<\/a>, state Sen. Sharif Street<\/a> and state Rep. Chris Rabb.<\/a> The fourth remaining candidate is a political newcomer in Shaun Griffith<\/a>, a tax attorney who previously worked for the state government before opening his own firm in Roxborough.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Street had the name recognition and party connections to fuel a successful campaign from the jump, but has faced stiff competition for the deep blue seat. Rabb sought the progressive crowd and pitched himself as an anti-establishment candidate, while Stanford \u2013 who entered the race with a medical background, no legislative experience and the endorsement of Evans \u2013 balanced her message as being both a new kind of representative and an experienced public health professional with support from the incumbent.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Both Street and Rabb have told voters to look at their voting records, saying their legislative r\u00e9sum\u00e9s speak for themselves and the ideals they\u2019d bring to Congress. And Stanford, having spent time in federal administration, has utilized her experiences within the Biden administration to argue she\u2019s seen where the gaps reside between local, state and federal governments. Meanwhile, Griffith, considered the longshot, believes his \u201cpeople over profit\u201d message is louder than the ones coming from seasoned politicians.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Further reading:\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Candidate questionnaires for Griffith<\/a>, Rabb<\/a>, Stanford<\/a> and Street<\/a><\/p>\n


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Sans Stanford, Dems Rabb and Street meet for PA-3 debate on WHYY<\/a><\/p>\n


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PA-3 Dems battle each other in off-the-rails primary forum<\/a><\/p>\n


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Campaign tracker: Labor unions continue to back Sharif Street<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n 7th Congressional District<\/p>\n

All of Carbon, Lehigh and Northampton counties, and parts of Monroe County<\/p>\n

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Screenshot, Wikipedia<\/p>\n

TLDR: Lamont McClure, a Northampton County politician, has deep local relationships and elected-office record; firefighters\u2019 union chief Bob Brooks has the governor\u2019s backing and the money to blitz airwaves, so the tight Lehigh Valley race likely comes down to these two \u2013 though it\u2019s worth noting that former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell has led fundraising for the past two quarters.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Incumbent: U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie<\/p>\n


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Candidates: Bob Brooks, Lamont McClure Jr., Ryan Crosswell, Carol Obando-Derstine<\/p>\n


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What you need to know: Barring a late surprise from ace fundraiser Crosswell, it’s essentially a race between Gov. Josh Shapiro\u2019s handpicked candidate, Bob Brooks, the president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, and former Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure Jr., a well-known native son who likes to remind voters he\u2019s the only primary candidate who\u2019s held elected office.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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This race stands out for how different each of the four candidates \u2013 including Obando-Derstine, a nonprofit executive who has advised former U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and Crosswell, who\u2019s running on an anti-corruption message \u2013 are from each other, and their pitches reflect that.<\/p>\n


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Further reading:\u00a0<\/p>\n


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PA-7 Dem rivals take aim at Brooks in wake of his bombshell claim about 2024 state treasurer race<\/a><\/p>\n


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PA-7 Dem candidates meet for televised debate in Jim Thorpe<\/a><\/p>\n


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In PA-7 Dem primary, Bob Brooks is going from pole to poll<\/a><\/p>\n


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\u2018I\u2019m the only one that\u2019s ever been an elected official\u2019: In PA-7 Dem primary, Lamont McClure runs on his record<\/a><\/p>\n


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Ryan Crosswell makes anti-corruption argument for PA-7 race<\/a><\/p>\n


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\u2018None of these candidates have the experience that I have\u2019: Carol Obando-Derstine makes her case for PA-7<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n 10th Congressional District<\/p>\n

All of Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties<\/p>\n

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Screenshot, Wikipedia<\/p>\n

TLDR: Two Democrats \u2013 former news anchor Janelle Stelson and Dauphin County Commissioners Chair Justin Douglas \u2013 are vying for the Democratic nomination in Pennsylvania\u2019s 10th Congressional District, with Stelson viewed as the frontrunner after coming within roughly 5,000 votes of beating incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in 2024.<\/p>\n


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Incumbent: U.S. Rep. Scott Perry<\/p>\n


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Candidates: Janelle Stelson, Justin Douglas<\/p>\n


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What you need to know: In the 2024 election cycle, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry held onto his 10th Congressional District seat by a margin of 5,133 votes, eking out a win over Janelle Stelson in what was the closest a Democrat has come to beating Perry since he was first elected in 2012. Two years later, Stelson is hoping to accomplish what she couldn\u2019t in 2024, with the winds of a favorable midterm election cycle at her back.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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However, prior to getting a rematch against Perry in November\u2019s general election, Stelson will first face Dauphin County Commissioners Chair Justin Douglas in the PA-10 Democratic primary.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Stelson entered the 2026 election cycle with support from a range of high-profile Democrats, including Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. She also picked up endorsements from a number of Central Pennsylvania state legislators, the Dauphin County Democratic Committee, and labor unions throughout the state \u2013 and holds a significant fundraising edge over Douglas. Douglas has earned the endorsements of several political organizations representing immigrants and communities of color, and has underscored the fact that he is the only candidate on the Democratic side of the aisle with experience as an elected official.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Further reading:\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Janelle Stelson works toward a November rematch with Scott Perry<\/a><\/p>\n


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Justin Douglas leans on his experience in PA-10 Democratic primary race<\/a><\/p>\n


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Janelle Stelson calls out DC Republicans for spiking gas prices<\/a><\/p>\n


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Justin Douglas picks up 3 endorsements in PA-10 Democratic primary race<\/a><\/p>\n

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