Harvie Wins Contested Democratic Primary Race For Congress In PA's 1st

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie on Tuesday night declared victory in the contested Democratic Primary race for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 1st District.

With the county's 304 precincts reporting, Harvie had 66 percent of the vote while his opponent, Lucia Simonelli of Quakertown, had 34 percent.

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Here are the unofficial numbers from the Bucks County Board of Elections:

Bob Harvie: 44,816

Lucia Simonelli: 23,192

Harvie will now face incumbent Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, who ran unopposed in Tuesday’s Primary Election. Fitzpatrick is seeking his fifth term representing Bucks County and a small portion of neighboring Montgomery County in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Harvie, a former Falls Township Supervisor and current county commissioner, released the following statement on his Primary Election win.

“This campaign has always been about fighting for working families, lowering costs, and making government work for the people, not wealthy donors and billionaires,” said Harvie. “That's why I got into this race: to deliver real results and restore the American Dream for Bucks and Montgomery County working families, which has sadly grown out-of-reach under Brian Fitzpatrick’s failed representation."

He continued, "The truth is that Brian Fitzpatrick has perfected the art of the meaningless gesture. He talks like a moderate in Bucks County, then sides with Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans when they need his vote the most. Fitzpatrick takes millions from GOP megadonors and corporate special interests, then turns around and does their bidding while working families here in Bucks and Montgomery counties pay the price.”

Harvie added, "People across every corner of this community tell me they are ready for change. We have the opportunity to stand up to Donald Trump and D.C. Republicans’ devastating agenda by flipping this critical battleground seat from red to blue," said Harvie. "I’m proud to have Governor Shapiro’s endorsement in this fight because he knows how important this seat is for Democrats to reclaim control of the House in November. I look forward to earning every single vote and finally giving Bucks and Montgomery families leadership that fights for us in Washington.”

Simonelli issued a video statement following her primary loss, thanking her supporters, expressing gratitude "for every single person that touched this campaign," and congratulating Harvie on his victory.

"Since launching our campaign in November, we've been privileged to hear from voters across our district. What we heard over and over is that people are done with politics as usual, whether standing up to big tech fast-tracked AI data centers, speaking up for our immigrant neighbors, fighting climate change, or rallying for our Democracy. We have made it clear where we stand - on the side of working people," she said.

"While we didn't win this particular election, we're incredibly proud of what was accomplished through the hard work of every day people in our community," she continued. "While losing elections is never the desired outcome, it encourages us that so many voters exercise their right to choose a candidate that aligns with their values."

She added, "The politics as usual crowd would like us to believe that creating real change is impossible and that we are asking for too much. We're here to say that we write the future we want to see. When working people unite and organize for a better world, anything is possible. This is bigger than any single candidate or any single campaign. This is a movement. This is our movement and the future is ours to organize."