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Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Democratic primary)

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2024
Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 10, 2026
Primary: May 19, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Pennsylvania

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District
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Pennsylvania elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on May 19, 2026, in Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 10, 2026
May 19, 2026
November 3, 2026



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.[1]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This is one of 56 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 35 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.

This page focuses on Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 3

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 3 on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = 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.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Thomas Cook

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I am Thomas J Cook, son of a Boston city firefighter and mother was a telephone operator. I am a 40 year federal worker with 30 years in Washington D.C. I graduated from Brandeis University with a B.A. and Johns Hopkins University with a Master's in Finance and Information Technology. I came to Philadelphia on an eye cancer diagnosis in 2019 and was treated at Wills Eye and Jefferson Oncology and now I am a cancer survivor for the past 6 years and living in the 3rd district with follow-up chemotherapy at Jefferson Hospital. I am running for the PA 3rd Congressional District seat because of the egregious treatment of my fellow federal workers and the lack of Congress to find a resolution to the health care crisis. I know personally how important health care is to every Philadelphian and American. I am for protection of Social Security and Medicare. I am Pro Choice and Pro LGBTQ. Our reproduction rights, our gay and transgender rights, our voting rights, freedom of press and freedom to protest peacefully are challenged every day and threatened to be taken away. Affordability is on the ballot in 2026! Affordable groceries and utilities, affordable housing, and affordable education. I will fight for all of these issues against Washington D.C. billionaires and bullies. We must defend our god given rights! Please go to www.TJCook.com and join my team. We The People must stand together!"


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Affordability is on the ballot. Groceries like beef, coffee, and even bananas all have had dramatic prices increases in the past year. Tariffs played a role and only last November did the Administration roll back these tariffs when they realized the price increases. You do not tariff what you do not produce! Utility bills are skyrocketing and again a tariff on copper by this Administration. 40% on finished copper goods and we only produce a little copper in Arizona. Copper is used by all utilities. Higher prices add to higher utility bills! Copper is also used in the housing industry in wiring and adds to cost of new and used homes and used in electric vehicles and adds to their cost to us. Affordable education is a priority.


Good paying jobs! AI has devastated entry level jobs for Millennials', Gen Z's, and GenX. National unemployment is around 4.3% but our younger generations are experiencing 10% unemployment trying to enter the job market. We need more jobs for our younger job seekers. Also, federal workers need their jobs back that were egregiously taken away with federal employees fired by DOGE and this Administration. I will fight for these jobs!


Government should be giving citizens a helping hand but not a hand out. I believe as a Moderate Democrat that immigration should be fair and legal with closed borders but opportunity for all outside U.S.A. to apply for citizenship legally and through proper legal channels. Citizens should be freely allowed to protest the present Administration's sweeping immigration policy but peacefully. ICE should not be allowed to tear gas peaceful demonstrations.

Image of Shaun Griffith

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Access to Healthcare for All Americans I became acutely aware of the cost of healthcare in seventh grade when I broke my arm, and my parents' health insurance refused coverage. My parents struggled for months to pay the emergency room bills. Parents should not suffer financial hardship because their children have bicycle accidents. As a preteen, I recognized the desperate need for all Americans to have access to healthcare. Thirty years later, the solution finally had a title: Medicare for All. Representative Jayapal (D-WA) and Senator Sanders (I-VT) have been fighting for universal medical coverage for all Americans for nearly a decade, and I will join them in the fight for Medicare for All.


Fight Fascism & Hold ICE Accountable The actions of the Trump administration reveal the administration’s imperial and autocratic aspirations, but the American values ratified in the US Constitution and embraced by political and civil rights leaders throughout history oppose autocracy. We Americans have never perfectly executed the ideals stated in the preamble to the US Constitution, but we have always strived “to form a more perfect Union ... and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” Through ICE, the executive branch daily terrorizes immigrants and violates Americans' civil liberties. I will work limit ICE's budget and hold ICE accountable for its violations of Americans' civil rights.


Fight for a $15 Federal Minimum Wage Compared to 55 years ago, American workers are compensated half as much for twice as much output. Simply to keep up with inflation, the federal minimum wage should be doubled. I adopted the fight for higher wages in 2016 when I supported Senator Sanders (I-VT) in his bid for President; a decade later, the minimum wage is still only $7.25 per hour. I believe that middle-class workers and white-collar professionals will benefit from a higher minimum as much as low-wage workers. This is a fight for everyone who punches a timecard. Hardworking Americans deserve better compensation for their efforts. In the US House, I will work to increase the federal minimum wage. I will fight for $15 per hour.

Image of Jahmiel Jackson

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Making the American Dream affordable. Focusing on housing, jobs, and economic stability — including homeownership, job security in the age of AI, and rebuilding pathways for working- and middle-class people.


Creating a viable platform in the Democratic Party for young men and those who feel politically homeless


Both parties are failing us. I’m focused on holding Trump accountable and winning back the young working-class voters Democrats have abandoned by offering real solutions instead of fear and division.

Image of Dave Oxman

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography "I am an intensive care doctor, writer and medical school professor. My family goes back four generations in Philadelphia. I am also a lifelong Democrat. Trained in infectious diseases, critical care and medical ethics, and I've been an advocate for solutions to public health threats like gun violence, medical disinformation and our broken health care system for my entire career As an intensive care doctor I meet people from every corner of this city and from every walk of life on some of the worst days of their lives. And I see how social ills – like poverty, addiction, gun violence, lack of educational opportunities – complicate illness and limit the potential of too many Philadelphians. During the COVID pandemic, I stood on the front lines battling a deadly virus, and just as deadly medical misinformation. I was also an early and outspoken critic of RFK Jr.’s appointment to the Department of Health and Human Services. As a researcher, I have published numerous articles and book chapters, and as a writer many opinion pieces on politics and society that have appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Hill, and The Philadelphia Citizen amongst others. A career in medicine has taught me about problem-solving, empathy, and teamwork, and now I want to bring those values to represent Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District. I’m married, the father of two kids and a proud Philadelphia School District parent."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS AT A CROSSROADS Creating an affordable and just economy means making big changes - like overhauling our tax code to make the wealthy pay their fair share, confronting the deep roots of our broken health care delivery system, and fully funding higher education instead of saddling students with crippling amounts of debt to name a few. But too many Americans no longer trust our party to do that work. Instead, they see a party content to tinker around the edges of big systemic problems and politicians corrupted by money from special interests. They also see a party that is sometimes more interested in preaching to the choir or letting dogma and labels stop us from building the coalition we need to move forward.


FIGHTING INCOME INEQUALITY Our economy is rigged to funnel more and more of the economic gains to fewer and fewer people. Leaving most Americans with fewer opportunities and less security. This hasn’t happened by accident, but has been the result of regressive tax policies, unchecked corporate lobbying and the weakening of labor unions. Going forward we need to get corporate money out of politics, strengthen our unions, fairly tax the wealthy – including on their wealth, not just their income -- and raise the minimum wage substantially. The levels of income inequality not only are unfair – they threaten the stability of our democracy.


Every day, Donald Trump's presidency threatens the Constitution, the rule of law, and common decency. His disdain for Congress, his cuts to federal funding for education and science, the brutality and lawlessness of ICE and his illegal military adventures put our nation on the edge of authoritarianism. Democratic leaders must use the courts and every legislative tool they have to stop him. And they must also forcefully use their platform to rally Americans, and American institutions everywhere to the scale of the crisis while giving them the spine to resist. But the fight against Trumpism will not end with Trump. To pick up the pieces and move forward Democrats must show Americans that are ready to do the work of tackling big problems.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Pennsylvania

Election information in Pennsylvania: May 19, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: May 4, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 4, 2026
  • Online: May 4, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: May 12, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 12, 2026
  • Online: May 12, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: May 19, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 19, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Varies to May 12, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Gabriel Caceres Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Cole Carter Democratic Party $95,947 $84,731 $11,216 As of December 31, 2025
Morgan Cephas Democratic Party $241,028 $132,370 $108,658 As of December 31, 2025
Thomas Cook Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Naderah Griffin Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Shaun Griffith Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jahmiel Jackson Democratic Party $15,369 $8,870 $6,499 As of December 31, 2025
Isaiah Martin Democratic Party $7,084 $5,219 $1,865 As of December 31, 2025
Pablo McConnie-Saad Democratic Party $119,221 $50,403 $68,818 As of December 31, 2025
Karl Morris Democratic Party $49,659 $33,371 $16,287 As of December 31, 2025
Dave Oxman Democratic Party $497,773 $140,774 $356,999 As of December 31, 2025
Christopher Rabb Democratic Party $384,066 $285,345 $98,721 As of December 31, 2025
Ala Stanford Democratic Party $467,228 $75,191 $392,037 As of December 31, 2025
Sharif Street Democratic Party $700,845 $226,822 $526,582 As of December 31, 2025
Robin Toldens Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. 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."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_pa_congressional_district_03.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+40. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 40 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Pennsylvania's 3rd the most Democratic district nationally.[2]

2024 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
88.0%11.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Pennsylvania, 2024

Pennsylvania presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 14 Democratic wins
  • 17 Republican wins
  • 1 other win
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R P[3] R R R R R D D D R R R D D D R D R R R D D D D D D R D R
See also: Party control of Pennsylvania state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Pennsylvania
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 1 7 8
Republican 1 10 11
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 17 19

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Pennsylvania's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Pennsylvania, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic Party Josh Shapiro
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic Party Austin Davis
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Al Schmidt
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Dave Sunday

State legislature

Pennsylvania State Senate

Party As of March 2026
     Democratic Party 23
     Republican Party 27
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 50

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Party As of March 2026
     Democratic Party 101
     Republican Party 98
     Other 0
     Vacancies 4
Total 203

Trifecta control

Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D
Senate R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Pennsylvania in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Pennsylvania, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Pennsylvania U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1,000 $150.00 3/10/2026 Source
Pennsylvania U.S. House Unaffiliated 2% of votes cast in the district in the last election $150.00 8/3/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
Republican Party (11)
Democratic Party (8)