| If you want to know just how vulnerable Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick is, all you have to do is follow the money.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports today that “Fitzpatrick has already spent $2.81 million” this campaign cycle, which is nearly as much as he spent throughout the entirety of his last reelection campaign. That includes “spending on attack ads against Harvie prior to the May 19 primary” – confirming prior reporting which revealed that Fitzpatrick, like other MAGA allies, tried to meddle in the Democratic primary out of fear of facing Harvie.
Why is Fitzpatrick burning campaign cash on negative campaign attacks? Harvie sums it up nicely: “What can he point to as an accomplishment? He doesn’t have one. If they actually had something to run on, if they had a plan on how to make people’s lives better, he’d run on that.”
Read key details from the Inquirer for yourself:
- Fitzpatrick’s campaign started spending on attack ads against Harvie prior to the May 19 primary, when the Bucks County commissioner won the contest to face the Republican lawmaker.
- Harvie claimed the spending against him shows Fitzpatrick “doesn’t have a record to run on” after 10 years in Congress.
- “What can he point to as an accomplishment?” Harvie asked last week. ”He doesn’t have one. If they actually had something to run on, if they had a plan on how to make people’s lives better, he’d run on that.”
- Democrats say Harvie’s two countywide wins for office in Bucks show he’ll be better equipped to compete than past challengers…
- “All he can do is attack and lie about me, which he’s been doing for over a year now, and the Republican Party has for several years,” Harvie said last week. “They lied about me in 2019. I won. They lied about me in ’23, I won. So it’s clear that I think the voters want real answers.”
- James Markley, executive director and communications director for the PA GOP, said in a statement that the party is ready to invest in Fitzpatrick’s reelection bid “to keep our majority in Congress.”
- Fitzpatrick’s principal campaign committee, called Brian Fitzpatrick For All of Us, has given at least $350,000 so far to the [Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania] this year. Other groups aligned with the lawmaker, like Team Fitz — a joint fundraising venture with organizations like the National Republican Congressional Committee — have also donated.
- Fitzpatrick’s early spending comes amid increased investments from national Democrats in the district and a litany of attacks against the GOP lawmaker …Harvie and allies believe the commissioner’s roots in Bucks, countywide wins, and campaign message will put him on a path to success.
- Harvie is a candidate on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue list,” meaning the commissioner’s critiques of Fitzpatrick are being bolstered by national party resources.
- The DCCC launched its first general election digital ad campaign Tuesday, backed by an initial five-figure buy, targeting Fitzpatrick and the three other incumbent Republicans representing Pennsylvania swing districts. The post about Fitzpatrick seeks to tie him to Trump-aligned donors.
- “Voters are going to hear about how they are hurting Pennsylvania families from now until Election Day,” DCCC spokesperson Eli Cousin said in a statement.
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