Pennsylvania primaries 2024: Lee and Fitzpatrick survive, matchups set for November

538 tracked congressional and downballot primary races in the Keystone State.

By538 Staff via five thirty eight logo
Last Updated: April 23, 2024, 6:00 PM EDT

Pennsylvania is already in the thick of campaign season for November's presidential and U.S. Senate races, but on April 23, Democrats and Republicans in the Keystone State chose their candidates in a slate of other consequential races down the ballot this fall.

Among the key races to watch: a couple of incumbent House members — progressive Democrat Summer Lee and moderate Republican Brian Fitzpatrick — both fended off challengers from their right, and ballots are now set for a few other consequential contests that could help determine control of the House next year. Plus, some key battle lines for control of the state government in November are set, with the parties finalizing their candidates for attorney general, auditor, treasurer and both chambers of the state legislature.

538 reporters and contributors broke down the election results as they came in with live updates, analysis and commentary. Read our full live blog below.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
ByMary Radcliffe
Apr 23, 2024, 9:45 PM EDT

Kenyatta projected to win Democratic primary for Auditor General

ABC News reports that progressive Philadelphia State Rep. Malcom Kenyatta is projected to win in the Democratic Auditor General primary. He's currently ahead of Mark Pinsley by around 23 percentage points, a significant improvement from the last time he appeared on a statewide primary ballot, winning just 11 percent of the vote in the 2022 Senate primary. He will face Republican incumbent Timothy DeFoor in November, who ran unopposed today.

—Mary Radcliffe, 538

Kaleigh Rogers Image
ByKaleigh Rogers
Apr 23, 2024, 9:38 PM EDT

Fitzpatrick projected to win in PA-01

ABC News reports that Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is projected to win the GOP primary in the 1st District, conquering his right-flank challenge from anti-abortion activist Mark Houck. He's faced a primary challenger in every election since he was first elected in 2016, but has always triumphed. Fitzpatrick will once again go up against Democrat Ashley Ehasz this fall, whom he beat by 10 points in 2022.

—Kaleigh Rogers, 538

Monica Potts Image
ByMonica Potts
Apr 23, 2024, 9:36 PM EDT

Downballot races show incumbents leading

I wrote earlier about some of the races for state House. So far, it looks like state Rep. Brown, in West Philadelphia, and state Rep. Salisbury, in the Pittsburgh area, are fending off challenges from the left, according to The New York Times. In the Brown race, Blackwell and Green may have split the vote against him. In the Democratic race for state Senate in Erie, Erie County Democratic Party Chair Jim Wertz is projected to defeat former Fetterman staffer Selena King, according to The New York Times.

—Monica Potts, 538

ByMary Radcliffe
Apr 23, 2024, 9:31 PM EDT

Pennsylvanians feel more positive about the national economy than the PA economy

Given the way Pennsylvanians feel about the economy in the commonwealth, Tia, whoever makes the ballot in the state treasurer race may have their work cut out for them. Pennsylvania voters are more optimistic about the direction of the U.S. economy than voters in other swing states, according to a GBAO/Fabrizio Lee/Wall Street Journal poll from March. Thirty percent of Pennsylvanians said the U.S. economy has gotten better in the last two years, the highest of the seven swing states surveyed. However, voters are less happy with how things are going in the commonwealth; just 20 percent said that the Pennsylvania economy has gotten better over the last two years, fewer than all but one of the states included in the survey (Arizona, in which 19 percent said things had gotten better).

—Mary Radcliffe, 538