This article is made possible through Spotlight PA’s partnership with NOTUS, a nonpartisan news organization that covers government and politics with the fresh eyes of early career journalists and the expertise of veteran reporters.
Moderate Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick could be facing his toughest election yet, staring down harsh political headwinds and a well-known Democratic challenger.
But Fitzpatrick has at least one considerable advantage this campaign cycle: cash. Lots of it.
Between October and December 2025, Fitzpatrick raised over $860,000 compared to his leading challenger Bob Harvie’s approximately $370,000. Fitzpatrick has accrued over $7.3 million on hand, while Harvie has over $400,000 in his coffers.
Fitzpatrick’s massive fundraising lead in one of the swingiest districts in the country in a midterm year Democrats are favored sets up an expensive, high-profile showdown that could decide control of the House. That is, if Harvie can keep up.
“It’s going to look like a modern presidential campaign waged in one congressional district,” T.J. Rooney, the former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, told NOTUS. “Every idea that’s ever been tested will be put into practice in some form or fashion. [Fitzpatrick is] going to want to try to convince some people who are on the fence that it’s important. He’s going to drive his message.”
Fitzpatrick’s message centers on his willingness to buck the GOP party line. The congressman has a well established record as a centrist, as the chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. In July, he voted with Democrats against President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut bill. More recently, he successfully joined Democrats to force a vote to extend expiring Affordable Care Act tax subsidies.
Fitzpatrick sounded emboldened by his fundraising, telling NOTUS in an interview he believes that the consistent stream of funds is proof his supporters are energized by his independent streak.
“It’s a component of a campaign,” Fitzpatrick said of the money. “It’s by no means everything.”
“I can tell you,” he added, “most of my financial supporters are people that believe in centrism and pragmatism and aren’t believers in the two-party cult system, this Hatfield versus McCoy, red versus blue nonsense. They reject that. They just want pragmatism.”
Fitzpatrick has weathered multiple tough elections in his suburban Philadelphia district, including in the 2018 midterms when Democrats flipped 41 Republican seats during the first Trump administration. While Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly carried the district in 2024 by less than a percentage point, Fitzpatrick won by about 13 points.
Harvie told NOTUS he has some reasons why 2026 will be different. He said he’s “happy with where the campaign is right now” despite the cash disadvantage.
“We’re building a campaign to win,” he said in an interview.
The Bucks County commissioner has strong name identification in the district, having won multiple countywide elections. Democrats put on a strong showing during a slate of 2025 local elections. Harvie is also boasting an October internal poll that showed a competitive race with Fitzpatrick, and his campaign posted on social media that he has raised over $1 million since the launch of his campaign when fundraising this quarter is included.
Harvie has hammered Fitzpatrick for his several votes for Trump agenda items, including votes advancing Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” despite the congressman’s occasional votes with Democrats.
Harvie said of Fitzpatrick’s war chest: “He’s going to need all that money to explain to people all the horrible votes he’s taken to screw over people in this district.” He argued, “Brian Fitzpatrick is no John McCain. He’s no maverick. He’s there when Donald Trump needs him.”
Harvie’s bid could also be buoyed by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is immensely popular and running for reelection at the top of the ticket. Shapiro has not endorsed Harvie, as he has other Pennsylvania Democratic House candidates, but he is reportedly backing Harvie behind the scenes. Voters won’t select a Democratic nominee until the primary in May.
Some Pennsylvania strategists insist that money isn’t everything in a race like this one — even if Fitzpatrick has more cash on hand than any swing district Republican. Nationally, Republicans are enjoying a cash advantage and await a Supreme Court decision that will likely afford them more flexibility with how they deploy the money.
J.J. Balaban, a Democratic ad maker in Pennsylvania, told NOTUS that he expects to see a similar wave of Democratic wins in 2026 as in 2018. Balaban said he thinks the party’s message that flipping control of the House is the way to block Trump’s agenda could be enough to carry Harvie, despite a fundraising disadvantage.
“What you’ve seen time and time again is in wave elections, having more money is helpful, but is by no means a guarantee of victory,” Balaban said.
Still, Balaban said that Harvie needs to improve his fundraising numbers ahead of a general election contest with Fitzpatrick. Harvie will have to make sure he raises enough to counter Fitzpatrick’s expected fall media blitz.
Balaban added that air time will be crucial for Harvie, since he and Fitzpatrick are both centering their campaigns around affordability. Harvie has hosted town halls to discuss the cost of living in Bucks County, while Fitzpatrick introduced an affordability agenda focused on lowering costs in February. Fitzpatrick called affordability “items one through 10” on a list of issues that matter to his constituents.
Balaban said raising money helps with credibility. “What you can do is try to raise enough money so that you’ll have an ability to at least make a case, make an argument, and hope to be able to take advantage of the moment.”
That’s particularly important in the Philadelphia suburbs, one of the most expensive TV markets in the country. That’s part of the reason national Republicans are projecting confidence in Fitzpatrick.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson told NOTUS that Fitzpatrick “does a great job representing his district, and he’s traditionally been one of our most battle-tested, best campaigners.”
And Fitzpatrick doesn’t appear to be sweating the challenge.
“If your district knows you, then they’re not going to believe any kind of ridiculous ads that try to paint you out to be somebody that you’re not,” Fitzpatrick said. “They don’t work. They didn’t work against us in 2018, and they’re not going to work against us this time.”