On the latest edition of the PA Political Digest Podcast, I sat down with three sharp beat reporters - Fallon Roth of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Tom Shortell of the Lehigh Valley News, and Borys Krawczeniuk of Scranton's WVIA-TV - for a rapid-fire breakdown of the key developments across our four hottest congressional battlegrounds: PA-1, 7, 8 and 10.

This mid-summer sit-down with the reporters covering these races (I served in that role for the PA-10 match-up as I live there), All Roads Still Lead to PA, is part 3 of our coverage of those top races…and of course, PA is the only state which has 3 races seen as being true toss-ups (7,8,10); PA-1 is still listed as Lean GOP.

At the top of the show, in lightning-round style, we serve up what we see as the top 2 recent developments in each race.

The Bottom Line

In 2024, GOP candidates survived by staying close to, or slightly behind, the national ticket. In 2026, with presidential approval underwater and Shapiro actively stoking Democratic turnout, Republican incumbents cannot simply do that again. To hold the House majority, PA Republicans must outrun the top of the ticket across all four battlegrounds.

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Welcome to the PA Political Digest's pod on PA's 1st CD with Erin Covey, who leads the coverage of U.S. House races for the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

Pa's 1st congressional district, a historically purple seat that encompasses all of Bucks County and a sliver of MontCo, features long-term Republican incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick squaring off against Democratic Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie.

Fitzpatrick boasts a formidable local brand as an authentic moderate and a massive $7 million war chest, having secured his 2024 reelection by 13 points despite Kamala Harris narrowly winning the district. Conversely, Harvie brings strong regional name recognition but faces obstacles, including a past FBI investigation and a modest $550,000 cash on hand.

Republicans believe that even in the face of a big Democratic wave in PA this year, Fitzpatrick would survive.

We continue our examination of PA's 4 hot congressional races with Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report - this episode focuses on another of our 3 toss-up races: the PA-10 rematch in southcentral PA between GOP Cong. Scott Perry and Democrat Janelle Stelson. Perry won by 5,133 votes in their 2024 battle.

Here is an AI-assisted summary of our interview about the highly competitive rematch for Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District between Perry and Stelson.

Race Rating: Initially rated "likely Republican," the race has shifted to a "toss-up" due to Perry's vulnerability and the exceptionally narrow margin of the 2024 race between the two candidates (Perry + 5,133 votes).

Candidate Strengths & Vulnerabilities: Stelson, a former TV news anchor with strong non-partisan name recognition, has out-raised Perry. However, her campaign previously faced criticism because she did not reside within the district, though she has since moved to Cumberland County. Meanwhile, Democrats attack Perry's conservative voting record on federal spending bills as a member of the House Freedom Caucus.

Strategic Outlook: Analysts view the upcoming race as a continuation of their '24 "slugfest," though it's unclear how much new information voters will learn about the two this year. As one of three toss-up districts in Pennsylvania, this race could ultimately determine control of the House.