Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
- Primary date: June 2
- Primary type: Closed
- Registration deadline(s): May 18
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: N/A
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 2 (return)[2]
- Voter ID: No ID
- Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
|
| Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: February 18, 2020 |
| Primary: June 2, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Brian Fitzpatrick (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Pennsylvania |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Lean Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th • 18th Pennsylvania elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick defeated challenger Andrew Meehan in the Republican primary for Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District on June 2, 2020. Fitzpatrick received 63% of the vote to Meehan's 37%.
Fitzpatrick was first elected to represent the state's 8th Congressional District in 2016. Following court-ordered redistricting in 2018, he was elected to the 1st District, defeating Democrat Scott Wallace 51.3% to 48.7%. Fitzpatrick was one of two Republican House incumbents seeking re-election in a district Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016. She won the redrawn 1st District 49.1% to 47.1% over Donald Trump.
Fitzpatrick said he had a proven record of leadership on issues such as border security, government reform, and drug abuse. On May 12, 2020, The Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School announced Fitzpatrick received the highest Bipartisan Index score of any representative for 2019, saying he co-sponsored 673 bills offered by Democrats.[3] On his official U.S. House website, Fitzpatrick said in a press release, "Hyper-partisanship is the single biggest threat facing our Nation. Bipartisanship is the only remedy that will save and heal our nation."[4] Fitzpatrick's endorsers included the Bucks County and Montgomery County Republican parties and the League of Conservation Voters.[5]
Meehan was president of an investment advisory firm he started in 1998 as of his primary campaign. He said he stood for conservative values and supported Trump. Meehan said Fitzpatrick failed the district by voting with Democrats on gun bans, amnesty, Obamacare, carbon taxes, and more. Meehan also criticized Fitzpatrick's July 2019 vote to condemn the president's comments about four Democratic congressional members, whom Trump said should go back to the countries they came from.[6][7]
This page focuses on Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Pennsylvania modified its primary election process as follows:
- Election postponements: The primary election was postponed from April 28 to June 2.
- Voting procedures: The absentee ballot receipt deadline for the primary election was extended to 5:00 p.m. on June 9 (with a postmark deadline of June 2) in Allegheny, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Fitzpatrick ceased campaign operations and fundraising between March 12 and May 13, 2020. A campaign representative said Fitzpatrick shifted focus to coordinating volunteers for the COVID-19 response during that time.[8] Fitzpatrick's campaign website said he resumed "limited and safety-conscious campaign activity ... while still maintaining our charitable operations" in mid-May. Meehan hosted town hall conference calls through late March and April and in March implemented contactless yard sign delivery. He resumed in-person campaign events on May 9.
Candidates and election results
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brian Fitzpatrick | 63.3 | 48,017 |
 | Andrew Meehan  | 36.7 | 27,895 | |
| Total votes: 75,912 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[9] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: Yes
Political Office:
U.S. House, Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District (2017-2019), U.S. House, Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District (Assumed office: 2019)
Biography: Fitzpatrick received a bachelor's degree from Penn State University and a J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law. Before being elected to the House, he worked as an FBI supervisory special agent and special assistant United States attorney. Fitzpatrick also served as a national supervisor for the FBI’s Political Corruption Unit and as the national director for the FBI’s Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement Program.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Andy has run an independent financial advisory and insurance practice since 1998. He has worked in several cycles as a volunteer for Republican presidential and congressional candidates. After watching Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick fail his constituents over and over again by voting like a Pelosi Democrat and opposing President Trump, even going so far to label him a "racist", Andy felt it was imperative that an actual Republican challenge Fitzpatrick for his house seat. A passionate and energetic advocate for classic conservative American values and the Trump presidency, Andy will be on the ballot for the Republican primary April 28th, 2020 in Pennsylvania's First Congressional District. "
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 1 in 2020.
Endorsements
This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
Click links below for endorsement lists from candidates' websites, where available.
| Republican primary endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Fitzpatrick | Meehan | ||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R)[10] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Bucks County GOP | ✔ | |||||
| Montgomery County GOP | ✔ | |||||
| Philadelphia Firefighters and Paramedics Union Local No. 22 | ✔ | |||||
| Fraternal Order of Police – Bucks County Lodge No. PA-53 | ✔ | |||||
| Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association | ✔ | |||||
| PSEA PAC for Education | ✔ | |||||
| Bensalem Career Firefighters Association (IAFF) Local 4837 | ✔ | |||||
| Republican Jewish Coalition PAC | ✔ | |||||
| International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 269 | ✔ | |||||
| League of Conservation Voters | ✔ | |||||
| Pennsylvania AFL-CIO | ✔ | |||||
| Former Pennsylvania Commission for Women member Anne Chapman | ✔ | |||||
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[11] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[12] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Fitzpatrick | Republican Party | $4,240,717 | $4,309,028 | $48,325 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Andrew Meehan | Republican Party | $61,740 | $59,050 | $-9,674 | As of December 31, 2020 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Primaries in Pennsylvania
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Pennsylvania utilizes a closed primary process. Voters are required to register with a political party to vote in the primary election.[13][14]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+1, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage point more Republican than the national average. This made Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District the 233rd most Republican nationally.[15]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.02. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.02 points toward that party.[16]
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[17]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[18][19][20]
| Race ratings: Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District represented by a Republican in 2020 and won by Hillary Clinton in 2016
This district was one of five Republican-held U.S. House districts up in 2020 that Hillary Clinton (D) won in the 2016 presidential election. Most were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2020.
| Republican-held U.S. House districts won by Hillary Clinton in 2016 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Ran in 2020? | 2018 congressional margin | 2016 presidential margin | 2012 presidential margin | ||||||||
| New York's 24th |  John Katko |
Yes | Republicans+5.3 | Clinton+3.6 | Obama+15.9 | ||||||||
| North Carolina's 2nd | George Holding |
Retired | Republicans+5.6 | Clinton+24.4 | Obama+15.3 | ||||||||
| North Carolina's 6th | Mark Walker |
Retired | Republicans+13.2 | Clinton+21.5 | Obama+17.7 | ||||||||
| Pennsylvania's 1st | Brian Fitzpatrick |
Yes | Republicans+2.5 | Clinton+2.0 | Obama+2.6 | ||||||||
| Texas' 23rd | Will Hurd |
Retired | Republicans+0.4 | Clinton+3.4 | Romney+2.6 | ||||||||
| Source: Sabato's Crystal Ball and Daily Kos | |||||||||||||
Click here to see the 30 U.S. House districts represented by a Democrat in 2020 and won by Donald Trump (R) in 2016.
See also
- Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in Pennsylvania, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Pennsylvania, 2020 (June 2 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Note: In Allegheny, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, the absentee ballot deadlines were: June 2, 2020 (postmarked) and June 9, 2020 (received).
- ↑ Note: In Allegheny, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, the absentee ballot deadlines were: June 2, 2020 (postmarked) and June 9, 2020 (received).
- ↑ The Lugar Center, "The Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School Unveil New Bipartisan Index Rankings for the first year of the 116th Congress," May 12, 2020
- ↑ Brian Fitzpatrick, "Fitzpatrick Ranked #1 Most Bipartisan in Entire Nation, Earns Highest Score Ever Recorded," May 12, 2020
- ↑ Brian Fitzpatrick's 2020 campaign website, "Bio," accessed May 7, 2020
- ↑ Andrew Meehan's 2020 campaign website, "About Andy Meehan," accessed May 7, 2020
- ↑ Andrew Meehan's 2020 campaign website, "Fitzwatch," accessed May 7, 2020
- ↑ WHYY, "The pandemic campaign: An unexpected challenge, and a mixed blessing for Pa. political underdogs," April 16, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Facebook, "Brian Fitzpatrick on May 23, 2020," accessed May 28, 2020
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures Website, "State Primary Election Types," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ Casetext, "25 Pa. Stat. § 299," accessed September 24, 2024
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
