Democrats pick candidates for key districts in the battle for the House

Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie has won the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District, NBC News projects — the first contested result in key Pennsylvania races that could decide control of the House.

Much of the attention in Tuesday’s primaries across six states has been focused on immediate intraparty squabbles, like President Donald Trump’s successful effort to unseat a Republican rival, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and whether progressive or establishment Democrats end the night with the upper hand in safe Democratic seats.

But the results of four Democratic congressional primaries in battleground Pennsylvania will loom large in November, when Democrats need to net three seats to take back control of the House.

In the swing 1st District in the Philadelphia suburbs, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie will take on Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, whom Democrats have repeatedly tried and failed to unseat — even as he represents a district Democrats win at the presidential level.

And in the Allentown-area 7th District, one of the most tightly divided congressional districts in the country, firefighter union leader Bob Brooks won the Democratic nod to take on Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, besting a crowded field of prominent Democrats from different wings of the party.

There was less fanfare two other major primaries in critical swing districts: The 8th District, where Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti ran unopposed and will take on Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, and in the 10th District, where Democrat and former television news anchor Janelle Stelson will take on Republican Rep. Scott Perry in a rematch.

The 7th, 8th and 10th districts have each drawn more than $11 million in advertising dollars spent and reserved this year, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, signs of how competitive they’re expected to be this fall.

Beyond Massie’s loss in Kentucky, a handful of other safe-seat primaries will almost certainly decide who will represent deeply Republican or Democratic seats in Congress next year.

Georgia’s 1st District: Rep. Buddy Carter is leaving this southern Georgia seat to run for the Senate, and the top Republican in this deep-red district is Jim Kingston. He’s endorsed by Trump, and his father, Jack Kingston, used to represent the district.
Georgia’s 10th District: This Athens-area district is being vacated by Rep. Mike Collins’ Senate bid, and the top candidate in the Republican primary is state Rep. Houston Gaines, who also has Trump’s endorsement. Film executive Ryan Milsap is also running.
Georgia’s 11th District: Rep. Barry Loudermilk is retiring from this red seat in the Marietta area. His chief of staff, Rob Adkerson, is running with his boss’ support, but so is Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore, who has the backing of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Dr. John Cowan, who has lent his campaign $1.5 million.
Georgia’s 13th District: Democratic Rep. David Scott had faced multiple primary challengers before his death in April. The top candidates in this suburban Atlanta seat include: state Rep. Jasmine Clark, former Gwinnett County Board of Education member Everton Blair, dentist Heavenly Kimes and state Sen. Emanuel Jones.
Kentucky’s 6th District: Trump-backed former state health official Ralph Alvarado is projected to win the primary to replace Rep. Andy Barr, who won the GOP nomination for the Senate. The crowded field of Democrats running in the primary in this Republican-leaning district includes former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo, former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, former Lexington City Council member David Kloiber and Erin Petrey, who works in sustainability.
Pennsylvania’s 3rd District: The race to replace the retiring Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans is crowded and hotly contested, with a handful of prominent Democrats all vying for the seat. The major candidates include former state party chairman Sharif Street, progressive state Rep. Chris Rabb and Dr. Ala Stanford, a former federal Department of Health and Human Services staffer.

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