Pennsylvania Democrats Vie to Face 2 GOP Congressmen Who Barely Won in 2024

A primary election in Pennsylvania on May 19 is expected to determine which Democratic candidate will attempt to flip two bellwether districts narrowly taken by Republicans in 2024.

Five Democratic candidates are on the ballot: One, Paige Cognetti, is running unopposed in the primary for the state’s District 8, where she will face off against Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R-Penn.) in November. Bresnahan snatched the seat from then-Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.) in 2024 with a 1.6-point margin.

Democrats are also hoping to retake Pennsylvania’s District 7, which Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-Penn.) clinched in 2024 in what was the narrowest margin of victory for any House race in the state that year. Mackenzie beat then-Rep. Susan Wild (D-Penn.) 50.4 percent to 49.4 percent.

While Mackenzie, like Bresnahan, is running unopposed in his primary, four Democrats are vying for the nomination on May 19 to challenge him later this year: Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure, and Carol Obando-Derstine.

Brooks is president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association and has been endorsed by Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Penn.).

A longtime federal prosecutor and Marine, Crosswell resigned from the Justice Department in February 2025 in protest of the Trump administration’s decision to drop prosecution of corruption charges against then-New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat.

McClure is a former Northampton County executive, and Obando-Derstine previously served as a senior advisor to Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.). Wild and Reps. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), and Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) have all endorsed Obando-Derstine.

A late April poll by the Democratic political strategy firm GBAO put Brooks in first place with 24 percent, holding a 7-point lead over McClure, who took second at 17 percent.

Obando-Derstine and Crosswell had 12 percent and 9 percent support, respectively. A significant 36 percent of respondents were still undecided.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has targeted both districts as pickup opportunities this year, along with Pennsylvania Districts 1 and 10.

District 7 is in southeastern Pennsylvania and includes all of Carbon, Lehigh, and Northampton Counties, as well as portions of Monroe County. Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton are popular cities in the district.

District 8 to the northeast includes the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre and encompasses all of Wayne, Pike, and Lackawanna Counties. Portions of Luzerne and Monroe Counties are also included.

Election analysts with The Cook Political Report rated both races in November as toss-ups.