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

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Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District
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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 Republican Party primary takes place on May 19, 2026, in Pennsylvania's 3rd Congressional District to determine which Republican 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 Republican primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results


Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 3

Sheila Armstrong (R), Rob Jackson (R), and Alexander Schnell (R) are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 3 on May 19, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Sheila Armstrong
Sheila Armstrong
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Rob Jackson  Candidate Connection
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Alexander Schnell  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

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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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.

Rob Jackson

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Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "A native Philadelphian who is best known for his unique ability to turn scarce resources into dynamic results: Rob Travis Jackson is the sole Republican candidate fighting for School choice. Jobs, Affordable housing and Gun violence are among his top five concerns. He is a multi award winning motivational speaker, sales pioneer , former freelance writer and paraeducator with roots in several neighborhoods within the district including Grays Ferry, Cobbs Creek, West Oak Lane, Germantown/Mt. Airy, as well as the Northeastern and Northwestern suburbs. Once a College Democrat, he was active in Young Republican circles during the late 90' and early 2000's. He strongly aligned with President Trumps domestic policies and economic goals ."

Key Messages

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

Better education through policies and programs means a better prepared workforce. School Choice and STEM education programs are not just for the distant future; they are way past due .

Jobs. Jobs. Jobs. Say no more; we absolutely must bring more good paying jobs to the area. In the era of high tech and artificial intelligence, we cannot let solid blue & white collar jobs performed by actual human beings --become obsolete. Everybody knows that successful long term employment helps families put a roof over their heads and food on the table.

Quality of Life issues. Safer streets with less crime and more growth shouldn't just be a suburban thing. As the 6th biggest city in the country, Philly has alot to offer. It's true that violent homicides are down but that work is not nearly finished. We must not only attract the brightest young minds here for secondary schools and colleges, but also give them reasons to stay here long after that ...to work , raise families and safely enjoy recreation without fear.

Alexander Schnell

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Website

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Alexander Schnell is a Philadelphia-based community advocate and technical problem-solver who focuses on practical, transparent approaches to public service. He serves as a Committeeperson in the city's 9th Ward and works as a Business Analyst supporting process improvement and operational projects for one of the city's major public-sector clients. Schnell's work blends hands-on engagement with a strong interest in constitutional process, local decision-making, and strengthening the relationship between residents and their government."

Key Messages

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

I'm running a bottom-up campaign because I think representatives should be present, accessible, and accountable to the people who live here. My focus is on showing up, listening, and keeping decision-making close to the district.

I prioritize reforms that give residents more influence over their government. That includes term limits, greater transparency in federal records, and cleaner campaign finance practices that keep local voices at the center.

I believe the current system makes it too difficult for independents to participate or get on the ballot. I want to make the political process more open, competitive, and accessible so every voter has a fair path to be heard.

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
Sheila Armstrong Republican Party $0 $0 $0 As of December 31, 2025
Rob Jackson Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Alexander Schnell Republican 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

  1. ↑ FindLaw, "Pa. Stat. tit. 25, § 299," accessed December 22, 2025
  2. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  3. ↑ Progressive Party


Pennsylvania's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
John Fetterman (D)
David McCormick (R)
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)


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