The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee unveiled Pennsylvania Spotlight candidates during a Zoom press conference last week.
Heather Williams, President of the DLCC, presented the slate of 15 House and four Senate candidates the Committee is supporting as the best opportunities to hold the Pennsylvania House and to build power in the Senate.
Currently, the Democrats hold the House by one seat and have defended that majority in six separate challenges since 2022.
In addition to Williams, House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Bradford (HD-70); Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa (SD-43); Pennsylvania HDCC Chair Rep. Tina Davis (HD-141); Rep. Brian Monroe (HD-144); and candidate Anna Thomas (HD-137), participated in the Zoom.
“Pennsylvania Republicans are poised to launch an assault on the freedoms we hold dear. That’s why we’ve recruited a stellar slate of candidates running for both the State House and State Senate,” Williams said. “Our DLCC Spotlight candidates are products of their communities whose values and lives are interwoven within their neighborhoods.”
Locally, Bucks County has several Spotlight candidates looking to unseat incumbent Republicans. Anna Payne is planning to flip the 142nd House District seat currently held by GOP Rep. Joe Hogan, and Anand Patel is running to unseat Republican Rep. K.C. Tomlinson in House District 18.
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Democratic incumbent Brian Munroe intends to keep his seat and continue to serve constituents in Pennsylvania’s 144th House District, mentioning that he will soon be the only elected member of the statehouse with a law enforcement background. In addition to law enforcement, Munroe served in the Navy and was also a firefighter.
Munroe credits his background and position on reproductive rights as the foundation for his 2022 win.
“There’s a significant portion of my constituents that are veterans because of the old naval bases that are in the area. So, like I said, I think they were looking for a unique voice in 2022… and then, of course, you know, protecting a woman’s right to choose,” he said.
Other Democratic Bucks County candidates include Eleanor Breslin, who is pursuing the seat currently held by GOP Rep. Shelby Labs (HD-143), Vera Cole, who Challenging far-right Rep. Craig Staats (HD-145), and Emma Rosenthal, who looks to unseat GOP Rep. Kristin Marcell (HD-178).
Seats considered “safe” but still in play include Reps. Tina Davis (HD-141), Tim Brennan (HD-29), Jim Prokopiak (HD-140), and Perry Warren (HD-31).
Democrats also have their sights set on State Senate seats although no senators representing districts in Bucks County are up for reelection until 2026.
In 2023 Bucks County’s municipal election produced a blue wave, securing row office seats and flipping control of school boards, and Democrats hope to build on those wins in the 2024 general election.
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“It’s unprecedented the activity that we’ve seen with respect to the buy-in from our caucus members for our candidates because of the excitement and experience that they bring to the table,” said Senator Jay Costa. “So we’re excited about where we are, we appreciate the support of all the organizations across Pennsylvania and across the country that are lending support to our efforts, and we know we won’t be disappointing them with the team we put together on our campaign side.”
“Last year in the local races, we saw a lot of our school districts flip because parents finally got a realization that some of these extreme measures, like banning books in schools, will affect all of us and affect our future children,” said Representative Tina Davis. “I believe that started another whole surge of more great candidates to come out, and I want to thank all the candidates that stepped up to the plate this year.”
