{"id":250315,"date":"2026-07-23T14:45:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T14:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/250315\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T14:45:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T14:45:09","slug":"keystone-clashes-millions-pour-into-three-pennsylvania-races-that-could-decide-control-of-the-u-s-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/250315\/","title":{"rendered":"Keystone Clashes: Millions Pour Into Three Pennsylvania Races That Could Decide Control of the U.S. House"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Millions of dollars have poured into three tossup House races in Pennsylvania that could determine which party takes control of the chamber come November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the Cook Political Report\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cookpolitical.com\/ratings\/house-race-ratings\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">House Race Ratings<\/a>, which assesses the competitiveness of all 435 House elections, 18 contests are rated as toss-ups. Pennsylvania is home to three of those toss-up races, the most of any state. All three districts are currently represented by Republicans and have become central to Democrats\u2019 path to reclaiming the House majority, making Pennsylvania\u2019s races some of the most closely watched.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), in particular, has not been shy about investing in these races. Just last week, Shapiro <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/pennsylvania-governor-josh-shapiro-election-initiative-janelle-stelson-democrats\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">announced a multimillion-dollar statewide campaign<\/a> to help elect Democrats across Pennsylvania, signaling the importance of these races for Democrats<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Republican has outraised the Democrat in two of the three races, through June 30, but two of the Democrats enter the home stretch with more money banked.<\/p>\n<p>7th District (Lehigh Valley)<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H8PA15195\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">raised more than $4.3 million<\/a> as of June 30, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/2026\/07\/20\/bob-brooks-outraises-ryan-mackenzie-in-latest-quarter-but-mackenzie-still-holds-cash-advantage-heres-a-closer-look-at-their-fundraising\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$631,000<\/a> in the second quarter of the year. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcall.com\/2026\/07\/20\/bob-brooks-outraises-ryan-mackenzie-in-latest-quarter-but-mackenzie-still-holds-cash-advantage-heres-a-closer-look-at-their-fundraising\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nearly half of these Q2 funds<\/a> ($300,000) came from joint fundraising committees. A JFC led by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) \u2013 the Grow the Majority PAC \u2013 funneled $88,281 to the campaign, while Defend Our Majority, another committee tied to Johnson and the National Republican Congressional Committee, contributed $49,244. Emmer Majority Builders, a committee tied to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn), gave $32,495.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another joint-fundraising committee, Mackenzie for America, has ties to the National Republican Congressional Committee and is solely dedicated to re-electing Mackenzie, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/committee\/C00878017\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">directing $76,225<\/a> to his campaign. Mackenzie has just over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H6PA07188\/?cycle=2026&amp;election_full=true&amp;tab=summary\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$2.9 million<\/a> in cash on hand as the consequential race enters its final months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mackenzie, who was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lehighvalleypublicmedia.org\/news\/elections\/republican-ryan-mackenzie-lands-trump-endorsement-in-pa-7-congressional-race\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">endorsed<\/a> by President Donald Trump in 2024, has again secured the president\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nrcc.org\/2025\/05\/08\/president-trump-endorses-representative-ryan-mackenzie-for-re-election\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">backing<\/a> as he seeks a second term.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Facing Mackenzie on the ballot is Democrat Bob Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association. Brooks has raised nearly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H6PA07188\/?cycle=2026&amp;election_full=true&amp;tab=summary\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$2.4 million<\/a> as of June 30 and most of this money (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H6PA07188\/?cycle=2026&amp;election_full=true&amp;tab=summary\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$1.9 million<\/a>) came from individual contributions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stronger Together PA, a super PAC, has spent over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/independent-expenditures\/?q_spender=C00936153&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2026&amp;cycle=2026&amp;is_notice=false&amp;data_type=processed\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$1.8 million<\/a> on ads supporting Brooks. It is primarily funded by labor unions like the International Association of Firefighters, the Kamala Harris-tied Future Forward PAC, and The Bench, a political action committee focused on \u201crecruiting and supporting\u201d the next generation of Democratic leaders, according to its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebench.org\/about\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brooks has just over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H6PA07188\/?cycle=2026&amp;election_full=true&amp;tab=summary\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$1 million<\/a> in cash on hand as of June 30, having spent much of his war chest on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityandstatepa.com\/politics\/2026\/05\/bob-brooks-wins-lehigh-valleys-hotly-contested-pa-7-primary\/413658\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">highly contested primary<\/a> in May.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Mackenzie continues to maintain a sizable fundraising advantage overall, Brooks significantly outpaced him in the second quarter, raising over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/elections\/house\/PA\/07\/2026\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$1.2 million<\/a> between April and June compared to Mackenzie\u2019s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/elections\/house\/PA\/07\/2026\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> $631,000<\/a>. Brooks\u2019 strong second-quarter fundraising suggests that Democrats are ramping up investment for a seat they believe is within reach.<\/p>\n<p>8th District (Scranton\/Northeast Pennsylvania)<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who is wrapping up his first term in Congress, has raised a total of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA08124\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$5.2 million<\/a> this election cycle, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA08124\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">spending $2.6 million<\/a>. Bresnahan had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA08124\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$2.6 million<\/a> in cash on hand as of June 30.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In August 2025, End Citizens United \u2013 which advocates for campaign finance reforms \u2013 filed an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.endcitizensunited.org\/news\/ecu-files-complaint-with-occ-against-rep-rob-bresnahan-over-secret-helicopter\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ethics complaint <\/a>with the Office of Congressional Conduct against Bresnahan, accusing him of failing to disclose ownership of a helicopter valued at $1.5 million. Lawmakers are required to report any earned income or holdings valued over $1,000 on their annual financial disclosure statements.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bresnahan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/?data_type=efiling&amp;committee_id=C00852137&amp;contributor_name=Rob+Bresnahan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">contributed $55,836<\/a> to his own campaign committee, Rob for PA, from January 31 through June 30. He also took in $1.9 million in PAC contributions while his challenger, Democrat Paige Cognetti, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H6PA08293\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">received $429,599<\/a> from PACs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cognetti is the current mayor of Scranton, the largest city in the 8th district, and has raised $4.6 million and spent over $1.2 million as of June 30. Nearly 90% of her funds have come from individual contributions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the second quarter, Cognetti had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H6PA08293\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">just over $3.4 million<\/a> in cash on hand compared to Bresnahan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA08124\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$2.6 million<\/a>, putting her in the fundraising lead as November approaches.<\/p>\n<p>10th District (Harrisburg\/York)<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrat Janelle Stelson has raised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA10104\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$6.4 million<\/a> as of June 30, making her the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecentersquare.com\/pennsylvania\/article_eaec8f72-42b4-49e4-829d-41d4ffbe73ca.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">top fundraising<\/a> House candidate in Pennsylvania over the past year. Stelson\u2019s fundraising advantage increased in the last quarter, with the former television anchor raising $1.7 million from April through June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Individual contributions account for nearly 77% of Stelson\u2019s fundraising, totalling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA10104\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$4.9 million.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stelson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.notus.org\/2026-election\/janelle-stelson-pennsylvania-podcast-payment\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">was paid $45,000<\/a> between January 2024 and October 2025 by Voting for America to produce four podcast episodes titled \u201cVoices of Central Pennsylvania With Janelle Stelson,\u201d which no longer exist online.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voting for America is led by alumni of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The group reported less than $50,000 in total income in 2025, according to tax records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of June 30, Stelson has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H4PA10104\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">nearly $4.5 million<\/a> in cash on hand as she prepares for a rematch against Rep. Scott Perry (R), who defeated her by <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.npr.org\/2024-election-results\/pennsylvania.html?section=key-races\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">just over 1%<\/a> in 2024.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perry, who has served seven terms in Congress including a stint as chair of the House Freedom Caucus from 2022 to 2024, has raised $5.2 million and spent $2.4 million, leaving him with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/candidate\/H2PA04135\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$2.8 million in cash on hand<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The veteran lawmaker\u2019s war chest is dominated by individual contributions, making up 60% of his total dollars, with over half of that percentage coming from donors who contributed over $200 to the campaign. Perry also received <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00510164&amp;contributor_name=C00797670&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2026&amp;line_number=F3-11C\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more than $650,000 in PAC contributions<\/a>, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00510164&amp;contributor_name=C00797670&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2026&amp;line_number=F3-11C\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$31,000<\/a> coming from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/?data_type=processed&amp;committee_id=C00510164&amp;contributor_name=C00432260&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">$77,430<\/a> coming from a PAC affiliated with the Club for Growth, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clubforgrowth.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">advocates<\/a> for free-enterprise.<\/p>\n<p><p class=\"republish-credit\">\n      This article was originally published by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics.<br \/>\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/news\/2026\/07\/keystone-clashes-millions-pour-into-three-pennsylvania-races-that-could-decide-control-of-the-house\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">View the original article<\/a>.\n    <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Millions of dollars have poured into three tossup House races in Pennsylvania that could determine which party takes&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":250316,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-250315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250315","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=250315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/250316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}