BUCKS COUNTY, PA — In the Democratic Primary, voters will choose between Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie and Lucia Simonelli of Quakertown as their candidate for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania's 1st District.
Patch invited both candidates to submit a profile and to answer four questions about the issues. Simonelli decided not to participate. Below, voters will find Harvie's profile and his responses to our questions.
The winner of the Democratic Primary will face incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick in the November election. Fitzpatrick is running unopposed in the May Primary.
Town of Residence: Falls Township
Position Sought: U.S. Congress, PA 1st District
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Family: Married with two children
Education: George Washington, Bachelor's; Holy Family University, Master's
Occupation: Vice-Chair, Bucks County Board of Commissioners
Questions
1. Why Are You Running For Your Party's Nomination?
I'm running because Bucks and Montgomery County families deserve a representative who actually fights for them and Brian Fitzpatrick isn't doing that. He talks about being an independent voice, but when it counts, Fitzpatrick follows Trump’s orders. At the end of last year, Brian Fitzpatrick cast the deciding vote for a budget bill that guts Medicaid, slashes SNAP benefits, and takes health care away from working families, and then he turned around and held a fundraiser with Speaker Mike Johnson.
I've lived my entire life in Lower Bucks County. I raised my family here and I was a public school social studies teacher for 20 years at Lower Bucks Technical High School. I spent my career delivering real results in local government, helping flip Bucks County blue in 2019 and winning re-election in 2023. I know this community. I know how to win here. And I will fight for our families. This moment calls for a candidate who will show up swinging every single day, not one who will try to play it safe. If I am lucky enough to be your Democratic nominee, I will defeat Brian Fitzpatrick and together we will put the brakes on Donald Trump’s destructive agenda.
What Are Your Campaign Priorities?
My three core priorities are fixing a broken Washington, protecting the programs that families depend on, and delivering real economic relief to working people in our district.
On the economy: Affordability is the number one kitchen-table issue I hear about everywhere I go. I'll push for policies that bring down costs for housing, childcare, and education, and fight for good-paying jobs that don't require leaving this community to find. I’ll be a champion for the working class to make sure the government works for them, not the billionaires.
On fixing Washington: I've joined End Citizens United's Unrig Washington campaign and I'm making a public commitment to refuse corporate PAC money, support a ban on congressional, judicial, and executive branch stock trading, and crack down on dark money. The system is rigged and voters know it. I intend to lead by example. I work for you.
On protecting working families: I will fight to restore what the Trump budget bill cut, like funding for Medicaid, SNAP, and health care tax credits that working families in Bucks and Montgomery counties rely on. I'll also work to lower prescription drug prices and protect Medicare and Social
Security from cuts. We must restore the promise of the American Dream.
What Differentiates You From Your Primary Opponent?
I have deep respect for Lucia Simonelli, and I believe we agree on far more than we disagree on. But when voters ask who is best positioned to defeat Brian Fitzpatrick in November, I believe the answer is clear.
I have a proven record of winning in this district. I helped flip Bucks County blue in 2019 and won re-election in 2023 in a competitive, purple district that Republicans have fought hard to hold. That kind of electoral track record matters when you're taking on a long time Congressman.
I am proud to have the support of Governor Josh Shapiro, the Bucks County Democratic Committee, and the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. They support me because they know I can win and will fight for Bucks and Montgomery County once I get to Congress. That is what I intend to do.
What Do You See As the Biggest Issue Facing Pennsylvania Voters, and What Would You Do in Congress to Address It?
The biggest issue is an economy and a political system that feels rigged against ordinary people, and a Congress that is doing nothing about it. Across Bucks and Montgomery counties, I hear the same things everywhere I go: health care is
too expensive, housing is out of reach, wages aren't keeping up, and Washington seems more interested in serving donors than constituents. Those aren't separate problems; they're
symptoms of the same disease: a political system corrupted by corporate money and special interests.
In Congress, I'll fight on both fronts. I'll work to reverse the Medicaid and SNAP cuts in the Trump budget bill, lower prescription drug costs, and expand access to affordable housing. And I'll work to clean up the system itself by refusing corporate PAC money, supporting a congressional, judicial and executive branch stock trading ban, and passing transparency legislation to expose dark money in our elections.
Brian Fitzpatrick has had 10 years to address these problems. Instead, he's been fundraising with Speaker Johnson and his corporate donors and voting with the people who are making our lives worse. Bucks and Montgomery County families deserve better and I intend to deliver it.
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