Pennsylvania primaries 2024: Lee and Fitzpatrick survive, matchups set for November
538 tracked congressional and downballot primary races in the Keystone State.
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:
- Last big projections of the evening: McClelland secures the treasurer upset
- Republican Jeffrey Olsommer on track to win Pennsylvania's only special election
- Mackenzie projected to win PA-07 and take on Rep. Susan Wild
- DePasquale projected to win the Democratic AG primary
- Stelson projected to win Democratic primary in 10th District
Answer: Swiftie reporting
I am a fan of Swift since the "Lover" era, but I haven't listened to much of the new album, yet. That said, given what I know about Matty Healy and his centrality to the album, my guess is B? I know he's got a cover of the "Starting Line." (I am a millennial, after all.)
—Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor
Answer: I have no idea
But is it C? I feel like she'd write a song about her hometown.
—Monica Potts, 538
Answer: I could not be more indifferent about Taylor Swift if I tried
Headline says it all, really.
But for the sake of fun, I'll go ahead and guess B.
—Mary Radcliffe, 538
Question: While we wait for more results, how about a little Pennsylvania 'pop' quiz?
Some of you may know I’m a bit of a Taylor Swift fan. The pop star, who grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to Nashville as a teen to start her career, released a heroic, 31-song double album last week. It’s chock full of references to all kinds of things including, by my count, at least one hat tip to her home state. So for my fellow live bloggers, can you guess which of these Keystone State staples was mentioned in Swift’s lyrics on "The Tortured Poets Department?"
A) The Philadelphia Eagles
B) Pop-punk band The Starting Line
C) West Reading, PA, Taylor’s hometown
D) Former state Sen. Vince Fumo
—Kaleigh Rogers, 538
The Israel-Hamas conflict has impacted local dynamics in Lee's race
Reporting live from the 12th District, there have definitely been some shenanigans playing out here in the Lee-Patel race, Geoffrey, so I'll be interested to see what happens with the other Squad challenges. For example, the 14th Ward Independent Democratic Club, an influential progressive group located on the East End in Pittsburgh, endorsed Patel over Lee. In 2022, the IDC endorsed Lee over the more moderate Steve Irwin, so it may look like the club has had a change of heart.
However, there's much more happening behind the scenes. Allegheny County's 14th Ward includes Squirrel Hill, traditionally the home of Pittsburgh's orthodox Jewish community. In January of this year, over 150 new members became a part of the IDC in advance of their annual votes on board members and endorsements, growing the club's membership by more than 50 percent. The new IDC members ousted board members that they considered too pro-Palestine, and were instrumental in directing the group's endorsements. So while it may appear to voters that a progressive group is abandoning Lee, a peek behind the curtain reveals quite a bit more is going on.
—Mary Radcliffe, 538