Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District: 2026 House Race

Giffords PAC, the gun-control group led by former Rep. Gabby Giffords and backed by Sen. Mark Kelly, has made Pennsylvania a central battleground in its effort to help Democrats win a House majority. The PAC is endorsing nine Pennsylvania candidates, including Gov. Josh Shapiro as he seeks reelection against Republican state treasurer Stacy Garrity, who has the NRA's backing. Other endorsees include Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, Janelle Stelson, and incumbent Reps. Madeleine Dean, Chris Deluzio, Chrissy Houlahan, Summer Lee, and Mary Gay Scanlon. Notably, the PAC also endorsed Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who has an "F" rating from the NRA.

The group has committed roughly $850,000 toward Cognetti's congressional bid alone and plans to spend $10 million nationally this cycle. Cognetti's opponent, Rep. Rob Bresnahan, has pushed back, citing her past comments questioning police and citizen gun ownership. Giffords PAC frames Pennsylvania as pivotal not only for 2026 but for positioning ahead of 2028, underscoring how gun policy remains a flashpoint in competitive House races nationwide.

Pennsylvania health officials confirmed a fifth measles-associated death this year, involving an unvaccinated Lancaster County resident whose identity was not released. Two prior Lancaster County deaths involved Amish infants, while Mifflin and Jefferson counties each reported one death, an 18-year-old and a 40-year-old. Confirmed cases statewide have reached 943, the largest outbreak in the state in three decades and the highest case count nationwide this year, with 40 new cases added in the past two days. Lancaster County remains the epicenter with nearly 400 cases, while Chester County has reported 83.

The toll is the nation's highest since 1992, but state and federal officials disagree on how to count it. The CDC currently lists only two measles deaths nationally, a discrepancy tied to decisions under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has clashed publicly with Gov. Josh Shapiro over the state's death count and vaccine messaging. Nearly one in five confirmed patients has been hospitalized, about a third are children, and almost all cases involve unvaccinated individuals.

Pennsylvania voters go to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026, in a general election that will help decide control of Congress and the state's next governor. Voter registration closed Oct. 19, and mail-in ballot requests are due by Oct. 27; polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The marquee race pits Democratic incumbent Gov. Josh Shapiro against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, with Libertarian Ken Krawchuk also on the ballot. All Pennsylvania House seats and half the state Senate are up for election. Closely watched U.S. House contests include the 7th District, where Democrat Bob Brooks challenges Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie, and the 1st District, where Republican Brian Fitzpatrick faces Democrat Bob Harvie in perennially competitive Bucks County.

Pennsylvania Democrats are publicly criticizing Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) after a Wall Street Journal report alleged he avoided meetings with disabled service members and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia staff concerned about Medicaid cuts, instead opting for a Fox News interview. The report also found Fetterman attended 26 of 31 committee hearings over the past year but stayed silent in 20 of them.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) called Fetterman a "lazy trust fund baby," referencing the senator's past acknowledgment that his parents supported him financially into his forties. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) said Fetterman lacks "a sense of duty" and vowed Pennsylvania voters would act in 2028. DNC Vice Chair and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta called Fetterman a "part-time senator, full-time commentator," saying he is frequently absent from his duties. The criticism follows earlier tension over Fetterman's handling of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The public rebukes signal deepening intraparty friction ahead of Fetterman's next reelection cycle.

Control of Pennsylvania's state Senate could hinge on three Philadelphia suburban districts, as Democrats aim to flip the chamber for the first time in 33 years. Republicans currently hold 27 of 50 seats; Democrats need to flip at least two and retain the governor's office to take the majority via the lieutenant governor's tie-breaking vote.

Democratic challengers Eileen Hartnett Albillar (6th District, Bucks County), Mark Pinsley (16th District, Bucks/Lehigh), and Chris Thomas (24th District, Montgomery/Berks) are challenging GOP incumbents Frank Farry, Jarrett Coleman, and Tracy Pennycuick, respectively. All three districts favor Republicans in voter registration, though Gov. Josh Shapiro has endorsed the Democratic candidates and his own reelection bid is on the same ballot.

Both parties are centering campaigns on affordability, with Democrats tying races to dissatisfaction with President Trump's handling of the economy and gas prices, while Republicans emphasize fiscal restraint and bipartisan legislative wins. A Democratic trifecta would open the door to priorities like a minimum wage increase and transportation funding previously blocked by the GOP-controlled Senate.

Sen. John Fetterman, Pennsylvania Democrat, is facing sharp criticism from within his own party after recording a video message for the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, praising GOP Sen. Dave McCormick as a colleague who "gets the job done." Rep. Madeleine Dean, also of Pennsylvania, called the move a "stunt" and said she is "gravely disappointed," adding that constituents who campaigned for Fetterman are "livid." Rep. Brendan Boyle renewed his past description of Fetterman as "Trump's favorite Democrat."

The backlash reflects broader frustration over Fetterman's ideological shift since 2022, including frequent votes aligned with President Trump and his lone defense within the party of Trump's actions toward Iran. Dean also criticized his reduced engagement with Senate duties, echoing a recent Wall Street Journal report on his disinterest in hearings and constituent meetings, which Fetterman dismissed as a hit piece. A group of former staffers has said it will soon release further details about his conduct in office. Fetterman maintains he has no plans to leave the Democratic Party.

Three 19-year-old men — Blaze Fuller, James Ryerson and Samuel Carlisle — have been arrested in Chester County, South Carolina, after allegedly cutting down and destroying two Flock Safety cameras owned by the Chester County Sheriff's Office. Investigators say Ryerson and Carlisle used a saw to cut down the cameras and then beat them with a hammer between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Aug. 15, causing one camera to catch fire. The damage was discovered the next day when a deputy noticed the cameras had gone offline.

Carlisle and Ryerson each face two counts of conspiracy and two counts of malicious injury to property, while Fuller faces one count each; the affidavit values the destroyed equipment at roughly $5,150. Sheriff Max Dorsey defended the cameras as tools for solving crimes and finding missing children, calling the destruction a crime rather than legitimate protest. The case adds to a broader national debate over Flock's automated license plate readers and their expanding use by law enforcement.

Tensions between Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and fellow Pennsylvania Democrats have escalated. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) told CNN's Jake Tapper that Fetterman is "nowhere to be found" while other Democrats campaign for competitive congressional races in the state, adding that constituents feel disrespected by the senator's approach to his office.

The criticism follows a Wall Street Journal report alleging Fetterman skipped meetings with disabled veterans to appear on Fox News and expressed frustration about meeting with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia representatives. Fetterman further angered Democrats by appearing at the Republican National Convention to introduce Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), with whom he shares a close relationship.

Deluzio said he has received encouragement to challenge Fetterman for his Senate seat in 2028 but has not made a decision, saying his current focus is down-ballot races. Polling from The New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena University shows Fetterman is now far more popular among Pennsylvania Republicans than among Democrats.

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division is sending roughly 1,000 federal monitors nationwide for Election Day, including to Pennsylvania counties where state law bars them from entering polling places. DOJ has said ICE and FBI personnel won't serve as monitors, though staff from agencies like the DEA, ATF and Federal Bureau of Prisons may participate without firearms or enforcement authority. Chicago has coordinated security with police, the FBI and emergency officials amid concerns over immigration enforcement near polling sites, while a coalition of civil rights groups is deploying lawyers and poll monitors. California is separately sending attorneys and observers to battleground districts, and DOJ continues legal challenges over noncitizen voter rolls.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican challenger Stacy Garrity met Wednesday night in the only scheduled televised debate of the Pennsylvania governor's race, ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The hourlong forum, hosted by abc27 and moderated by anchor Dennis Owens, aired across several Nexstar-owned stations statewide and streamed online. Libertarian candidate Ken Krawchuk was not invited.

Shapiro, a popular incumbent and potential 2028 presidential contender, enters the race with a large fundraising and polling lead, touting first-term accomplishments including infrastructure repairs, business recruitment, and utility cost caps. Garrity, the state treasurer and Trump-endorsed Republican seeking to become Pennsylvania's first female governor, used the debate to raise her profile and press Shapiro on affordability, school choice, and his handling of a sexual harassment settlement involving a former aide. Both candidates have faced scrutiny over shifting positions on data center development, a contentious issue with bipartisan voter opposition. Shapiro's campaign has sought to tie Garrity closely to Trump, while she has pushed back on characterizations of her 2020 election comments. Analysts note debates rarely shift outcomes in races with such a wide polling gap.