Pennsylvania

Nina Ahmad is the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Auditor General. Ahmad is a Bangladeshi immigrant who came to the U.S. to earn a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. She married and stayed in the U.S. to raise a family and start a small business as a molecular biologist. She served with many nonprofits and advocacy groups and most recently as Deputy Mayor for Public Engagement under Mayor Kenney. If elected, she would be the first woman of color to hold the Auditor General position in Pennsylvania’s history. 

Ahmad’s platform is advocating for transparency and promoting the public good. She positions herself as the chief fiscal watchdog, who will use facts and data to ensure responsible governance. She is outspoken in her support for minority communities and for the historic marches for civil rights that have captivated the nation this year. 

Ahmad is facing three opponents in the general election: Timothy DeFoor, a Republican; Olivia Faison of the Green Party; and Jennifer Moore, a libertarian. DeFoor has also worked in government watchdog roles in the PA Attorney General’s office and the Dauphin County controller. He has no published platform except for allying himself closely with the police. Faison has very little campaign presence beyond a Facebook page with no information about the candidate or her views. Moore is the auditor in the Upper Province of Montgomery County. She has very little campaign presence except for an entry on a libertarian party page with vague claims of independence. 

Nina Ahmad is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Josh Shapiro is the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Attorney General. Shapiro spent the first part of his career working as advisors for U.S. Senators and leaders in Congress. He worked with U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Robert Torricelli and Congressmen Peter Deutsch and Joe Hoeffel. Shapiro also served in the Pennsylvania State House from 2005 to 2011 and as Montgomery County Commissioner from 2011 to 2017. He was elected Attorney General in 2017.

Shapiro’s top priorities are protecting seniors, veterans, and small businesses from scams, fighting the opioid epidemic and treating those suffering from addiction, and ensuring faith and integrity in the justice system. More recently, Shapiro has been focused on police misconduct and violence. He’s formed a coalition of officials to build a statewide police employee registry to ensure all citizens are protected from police brutality and racism. 

Shapiro is facing three opponents in the general election: Heather Heidelbaugh, a Republican; Richard Weiss from the Green Party, and Daniel Wassmer, a libertarian. Heidelbaugh, who is from Missouri, sat on the Allegheny Council. She prides herself in cutting social programs. Weiss has no published campaign platform. Wassmer has no campaign presence. 

Josh Shapiro is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Joseph Torsella is the Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania Treasurer. Torsella is from Berwick and graduated from University of Pennsylvania. He subsequently studied history at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. In the 1990s, Torsella served as deputy mayor for planning and policy under Mayor Ed Rendell. He also served as chair of the Pennsylvania Board of Education. From 2011 to 2014, Torsella served as the U.S. Representative to the United Nations. He has served as Pennsylvania Treasurer since 2017. 

Torsella’s platform is a commitment to transparency and integrity, helping low and middle income families, and producing proven results for taxpayers. Torsella prides himself on making government spending as transparent as possible, and believes all citizens should be auditors. He is also committed to fighting inequality and helping families improve financial literacy. Torsella plans to create universal college savings and individual retirement accounts to help bridge the income gap. 

Torsella is facing three opponents in the general election: Stacy Garrity, a Republican; Timothy Runkle, from the Green Party, and Joseph Soloski, a libertarian. Garrity is an accountant and former Army reservist. She is running for political office on the platform of not being a politician. Runkle has no significant, public campaign platform. Soloski is an accountant who wants to eliminate taxes for the very wealthy and large corporations. 

Joseph Torsella is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Christina Finello is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 1st congressional district. Finello has spent her career advocating for veterans through the Philadelphia Veterans Court. She also serves as the Deputy Director of the Bucks County Department of Housing and Human Services. Finello is also on the board member of Alpha Bravo Canine, an organization that connects injured veterans with service dogs.

Finello’s platform reflects her commitment to improving life for all Pennsylvanians, regardless of background. Finello plans to drive down the cost of healthcare by creating a public option to compete with for-profit health insurance companies. She is an advocate for human rights, including LGBTQ+ rights to housing, employment, marriage, and adoption. Finello is also firm on Americans’ right to reproductive autonomy and the human rights of undocumented immigrants seeking a clear path to citizenship. Finello plans to make higher education an option for all including lowering student loan interest rates, and providing free community college.

Christina Finello is challenging incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who was elected in 2016. Fitzpatrick voted in favor of a 2017 bill that created permanent corporate tax cuts and made working people more vulnerable to rising health insurance costs. He claims to be an advocate for reproductive health, but has consistently voted to obstruct legal access to reproductive care. He did, however, vote in favor of legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Unfortunately, this vote doesn’t matter much in a pandemic. Brian Fitzpatrick joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Libertarian Steve Scheetz is also in the running in this race. Scheetz offers no concrete policy stances on his website or social media. He advocates for less government regulation and oversight in general.

Christina Finello is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Brendan Boyle is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district. Boyle was raised in a blue-collar family, which he says shaped his views. Prior to his time as a federal representative, Boyle spent six years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In that role, he supported increased funding for Pennsylvania’s public schools and gathered bipartisan support for the state’s first major transportation plan in decades.

In 2016, Boyle co-founded the Blue Collar Caucus, which tackles wage stagnation, job insecurity, trade, offshoring and dwindling career opportunities for people in the manufacturing and building trades. He has also voted in favor of stronger background checks before the sale of firearms, which broad majorities of Americans support. Last year, he voted to authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. During the pandemic, Brendan Boyle voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

This fall, he is facing Republican challenger David Torres. Torres does not have a single issue stance listed on his website or social media, but he is an avid supporter of President Trump. If elected, voters can expect Torres to turn his back on citizens facing hardships during the pandemic, just as congressional Republicans have.

Brendan Boyle is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Dwight Evans is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 3rd congressional district. Evans has been a public servant since 1980 and lives in the same North Philadelphia neighborhood where he grew up. After graduating from community college, he went to work for the Urban League and became a community activist, working to fix parts of the city long left behind. For more than 30 years, he has helped build neighborhoods, block by block. Evidence of his hard work can be seen in the rebuilding of neighborhoods along Ogontz Avenue and West Oak Lane.

Dwight Evans was first elected State Representative in 1980. Ten years later, he made history by becoming the first Black Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Dwight held the post for two decades, where he remained consistently focused on helping Philadelphia receive funding for economic development. One of his proudest achievements was championing Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative, which sought to end food deserts by opening nearly 100 groceries across the city. The initiative was championed by the Obama administration and used as a model for the nation, replicating it in several other states.

Dwight Evans has a long record of progressive votes. Recently, he co-sponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a historic bill to end the era of police brutality and racism. In 2019, Evans co-sponsored the Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as education, employment, and housing. During the pandemic, Dwight Evans voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Dwight Evans has drawn a Republican challenger, Michael Harvey. He is a longtime Philadelphia resident with a background in the military reserves. Harvey does not have a clear platform on his campaign website, but can easily be found on social media railing against liberals and warning fellow citizens of a coming dictatorship if broadly popular police reforms are enacted.

Dwight Evans is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Madeleine Dean is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district. Dean grew up in Glenside and got her start arguing politics around the dinner table with her five brothers and older sister. After college, she went to law school and practiced law in Philadelphia. Eventually, she opened a small three-woman law practice. While she was raising her three kids, she switched careers and began teaching English at LaSalle University.

In 2012, Rep. Dean launched her career in public service and won a special election to the Pennsylvania State House. During her six years in Harrisburg, she fought for public education, healthcare, environmental protection, equal rights, criminal justice reform, and against the opioid crisis. After the Sandy Hook shooting, Dean founded and served as co-chair of the PA-SAFE caucus dedicated to ending gun violence. In 2018, she set her sights higher and ran for Congress in one of the most pivotal years in its history. During the pandemic, Madeleine Dean voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Dean currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee, which oversaw the historic impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump. She also sits on the House Financial Services Committee, is the Vice Chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus and a founding member of the Bipartisan PFAS Taskforce, focused on addressing drinking water contamination in our communities and across the country.

Dean currently faces off against a Republican Kathy Barnette and an Independent candidate Joe Tarshish, both political newcomers. Barnette has leaned into the combative "America First" Trumpism while Tarshish hopes to capitalize on voter antipathy toward both parties.

Madeleine Dean is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Mary Gay Scanlon is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. She is a former lawyer and school board member in her community. Her work in Pennsylvania schools included supplying better nutrition for students, increasing sustainability, and securing more opportunities for underprivileged kids. Her work as an attorney has saved lives: she did pro bono work for Daniel Dougherty’s case, a 15-year effort that saved an innocent man from death row. She also secured asylum for Hawa Salih, a women’s rights activist from Darfur who was a target for torture and execution.

Scanlon’s record shows concern for the well-being of her constituents. She continually underscores that and increasing number of Americans can’t afford their bills. As recently as 2019, she voted in favor of legislation that would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. She supports an increase in the federal minimum wage, in a gradual way that supports small businesses. During the pandemic, Mary Gay Scanlon voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Rep. Scanlon is facing Dasha Pruett, a Republican who has been endorsed by the Trump/Pence 2020 campaign. An immigrant from the USSR, Pruett accuses Rep. Scanlon of promoting the same socialism that Pruett’s own family emigrated to escape. Given her support from the Trump campaign, Pruett’s core issue stances are largely unsurprising. Pruett believes in defunding poorer school districts in favor of wealthier ones. Pruett holds her potential constituents in contempt and, once elected, advocates violating their legal reproductive rights.

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Chrissy Houlahan is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district. She grew up in a family of Holocaust survivors and military personnel. She has many accomplishments in public service. For instance, she was a leader at B Lab, the organization that started the B Corporation movement for corporate social responsibility.

Houlahan’s record demonstrates care for the well-being of her constituents. Her top priorities are affordable healthcare, gun safety, government accountability, and providing workers with good jobs that provide fair wages and benefits. Last year, she voted to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate the prices of drugs, to lower costs for families. She also voted for stronger background checks for the transfer of firearms. Additionally, Houlahan voted to implement an incremental increase in the federal minimum wage. During the pandemic, Chrissy Houlahan voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Houlahan is facing two challengers in the general election: Republican John Emmons and Independent candidate John McHugh. John Emmons has a background in business, and he advocates for tax cuts for corporations. He values affordable healthcare, and believes it will happen on its own if hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are forced to be transparent in their pricing. Emmons also claims to be in favor of environmental conservation, but he advocates for fewer regulations for polluters. Most of his positions appear to be detrimental to his potential constituents.

John McHugh is an unserious candidate. He advocates for renewable energy but does not give specifics or plan to increase their use. He calls for businesses to stop damaging the environment but does not advocate for any specific policies to hold them accountable. He highlights a need for affordable healthcare for America’s aging population but has no plan to make it happen.

Chrissy Houlahan is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Susan Wild is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district. Wild grew up in a military family that traveled often, but when she settled down to start a career and a family, she chose Lehigh Valley. She went on to become the first woman to be Solicitor General in Allentown.

Susan Wild is widely recognized as an honest leader and champion to Lehigh Valley’s working families. In Congress, she sits on the Ethics Committee, which recently helped bring down Rep. Chris Collins for insider trading and securities fraud. Locally, Wild helps lead numerous organizations, including food banks, animal rescue organizations, and programs for women and families.

Susan Wild’s voting record demonstrates her commitment to the health and safety of her constituents. During the pandemic, Susan Wild voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Pennsylvania’s newly reformed 7th congressional district contains pivot counties that supported both Presidents Obama and Trump, and is expected to be highly competitive. Susan Wild won a hotly contested race in 2018 against Republican Marty Nothstein, a professional cyclist who was accused of sexual misconduct.

Wild’s current Republican opponent is Lisa Scheller. Scheller is a wealthy corporate manager who owns an aluminum company she inherited from her family. Scheller often attacks environmental regulations so that businesses like hers can reduce costs and more freely pollute Pennsylvania’s air and water supplies.

Susan Wild is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Matt Cartwright is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 8th congressional district. He has lived and worked in Pennsylvania his whole life. After college, Cartwright set up a law practice in Scranton focused on making sure the law was fairly applied fairly. He was on the board of the American Association for Justice and also served as a Democratic delegate in the 1990s. In 2012, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In Congress, Cartwright has been committed to advocating for Pennsylvanians. Cartwright puts that commitment into practice as a member of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. In the last eight years, he has introduced more than 60 pieces of legislation, often with bipartisan support. This includes bills to clean up the environment, programs that help seniors, and programs that would provide mental health resources to veterans.

Cartwright has taken a stand on protecting reproductive rights, fighting to expand affordable health care, and regulating firearms to reduce gun violence. Recently, he used his office to force Amazon to introduce more safety standards to protect its workers. He has also pushed for more funding for clean energy jobs in the stimulus bills that addressed the economic downturn due to the pandemic. Cartwright is remarkably consistent in his support for Pennsylvania workers. Matt Cartwright voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Cartwright’s Republican challenger in 2020 is Jim Bognet. Bognet is a former Trump official and was recently endorsed by the president’s son. If elected, he is likely to join his Republican peers in Congress in ignoring the needs of Pennsylvanians during the current economic crisis.

Matt Cartwright is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Gary Wegman is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district. Wegman is a dentist of 36 years and a small business owner. He is a former board member of the Reading Redevelopment Authority, where he helped redevelop crumbling neighborhoods.

Wegman’s platform is progressive. Wegman advocates for a nationwide single payer health care system and a cap on prescription drug costs. Wegman wants to raise the federal minimum wage to at least $12 and tie it to the cost of living. He supports expanding immigration opportunities and providing a path to citizenship for undocumented workers already contributing to the U.S. economy.

Wegman is challenging Republican incumbent candidate Dan Meuser, who has served one term. Meuser’s record demonstrates contempt for the health and safety of his constituents. He voted against regulation of the pharmaceutical industry. Meuser also voted against raising the minimum wage. Meuser also voted against the environmental regulations and protections already agreed to under the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2020, Meuser voted against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, as well. In the middle of a pandemic, Dan Meuser joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Gary Wegman is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Eugene DePasquale is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district. After attending law school, DePasquale worked at a nonprofit helping young people with mental and physical disabilities. He has been serving as Pennsylvania’s Auditor General since 2017, and he was the state’s first public official to post all of their expenses online.

DePasquale’s platform shows a commitment to the health and well-being of his constituents. He supports automatic enrollment in Medicaid for people who cannot afford private insurance and a public option to push down private insurance rates. He advocates for a $15 minimum wage and for tax credits that promote the use of clean energy. DePasquale’s goal is to have “a 100% clean energy economy” as quickly as possible. His plans for revitalizing the economy also include investment in infrastructure from highways and public transit to upgraded energy grids and broadband.

Eugene DePasquale is challenging Republican incumbent Scott Perry. Perry is a member of the divisive and far-right House Freedom Caucus. He voted against lowering the costs of prescription drugs and raising the minimum wage. He also voted against legislation that would require the Trump administration to adhere to previously agreed-upon environmental regulations and protections under the Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, Perry voted in favor of legislation that would prohibit the consideration of the social costs of carbon emissions in any environmental decision making process. In the middle of a pandemic, Scott Perry joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Eugene DePasquale is the clear progressive choice in this race.

arah Hammond is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 11th congressional district. In 2018 she ran for the Pennsylvania State House, and the state Senate in 2019. She continues to run with the motto: “Failure is not an option.”

Sarah Hammond’s platform is progressive. She pledges to fight systemic racism and demand criminal justice reform. She champions union workers as the drivers of Pennsylvania’s middle class. She’s also a defender of reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights. Like many young people, Hammond understands the urgency of the climate crisis and supports Green New Deal policies. She’s also vowed to combat the opioid crisis and push for the expansion of health care for all citizens.

Sarah Hammond is running against Lloyd Smucker, who has held the seat since 2018. Smucker was previously a representative in the U.S. House in Pennsylvania's old 16th district and a state senator for five years. In 2011, Smucker cosponsored a bill to expand fracking in Pennsylvania. The same year, he cosponsored a bill to defund public education and siphon money into private schools. In Congress, he voted to remove healthcare protections for people with pre-existing conditions but made sure that did not apply to members of Congress. In the middle of a pandemic, Lloyd Smucker joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Sarah Hammond is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Lee Griffin is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. Griffin grew up the son of two public school teachers in a house his father built. Like his family before him, he was deeply committed to the beautiful landscape and culture in Pennsylvania, first as an Eagle Scout and then as an honors student. After college, he gained experience in business and logistics and then taught English in Taiwan.

Griffin’s roots in rural Pennsylvania and his experiences abroad have shaped his priorities, particularly in championing affordable health care and fighting the climate crisis. Even before the pandemic, many of his neighbors lacked health care coverage and were forced to ration life saving drugs like insulin. Griffin believes it’s going to take all parts of society to band together to address the threat of climate change. Recently, Griffin was moved to support the protests of the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arber. Griffin has also championed the recent Supreme Court Decision to protect LGBTQ+ workers and has given his unequivocal support to protect his fellow citizens’ rights.

Griffin is running to unseat Republican Fred Keller, who has held the seat since 2018. Keller’s voting record and public statements echo his Republican leaders in Washington. Keller voted against the new police reform bill, even though it has broad public support. When Keller was a state representative, he voted to take away food stamps and Medicaid from his neighbors. In the middle of a pandemic, Fred Keller joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Lee Griffin is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Todd Rowley is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 13th congressional district. Rowley was an FBI agent for over 24 years. After retiring, he pursued his lifelong dreams of coaching Little League baseball and working as a substitute teacher in his community’s school district. Rowley felt compelled to public service by the increasing crises of the current adminstration.

Rowley’s platform is progressive. He supports raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and paid family and sick leave. He plans to invest in the education system, in affordable higher education, and to expand opportunities for people to attend trade schools. His plans for the healthcare system include supporting the implementation of a public insurance option and fighting to lower prescription drug costs.

Rowley is facing Republican incumbent representative John Joyce, who has held the seat since 2019. Joyce voted against authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. He voted against raising the federal minimum wage. Joyce also voted against previously agreed-upon environmental regulations and protections under the Paris Climate Agreement. In the middle of a pandemic, John Joyce joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Todd Rowley is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Bill Marx is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 14th congressional district. Marx served in the military for 16 years and is now a teacher.

Marx is explicitly against a single-payer health insurance system but does support a public option for people over 55. He also advocates negotiating for lower prescription drug costs. He approaches environmental issues with urgency, advocating for a swift change to alternative energy sources and measures that mitigate environmental impacts of climate change. Marx also supports raising the minimum wage and tying it to inflation.

Marx is facing incumbent Republican representative Guy Reschenthaler, who has held the seat since 2019. Reschenthaler voted against previously agreed-upon environmental regulations and protections under the Paris Climate Agreement. He voted against raising the minimum wage, even though it would have benefited many of his constituents. Similarly, Reschenthaler voted against using the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate the prices of prescription drugs. In the middle of a pandemic, Guy Reschenthaler joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Bill Marx is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Robert Williams is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 15th congressional district. Williams is a former EMT who found his calling as a minister in his community in California. He eventually moved to Burnside Township to be closer to his family. Williams previously ran for office in Anaheim, which he says helped shape his values of community service.

As a healthcare worker, it is no surprise that affordable healthcare is Williams’ main priority. He believes health care is a right, not a privilege. Williams also believes the key to creating decent jobs and supporting local families is through investments in infrastructure improvement. He supports veteran communities and is advocating for better wages, improved housing conditions and more mental health resources.

Williams is challenging Republican incumbent Glenn Thompson. Thompson’s voting record shows a disregard for the needs of the constituents in his district. In 2019, Thompson voted against the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would protect Americans' right to vote. Later that year, he voted against the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would have helped elderly citizens in his district. In 2020, he voted against the Protecting America's Wilderness Act, which would protect the countryside where his neighbors live. In the middle of a pandemic, Glenn Thompson joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Robert Williams is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Kristy Gnibus is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 16th congressional district. Gnibus is a teacher and organizer in her local community and is finishing her Ph.D. at Gannon University. She is known for being determined and completed her schooling while undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. 

Gnibus’s top priority is fighting for affordable healthcare. She will fight to make healthcare a right for her constituents in Western Pennsylvania. Gnibus also cares deeply about affordable education for every Pennsylvania family, as well as addressing student debt. She advocates for expanding job opportunities, criminal justice reform and raising the minimum wage.

Gnibus’s opponent is Republican incumbent Mike Kelly, who has held the seat since 2019. Kelly’s short record demonstrates contempt for his constituents. Kelly refused to vote for the Paycheck Protection Act that is currently helping small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. Kelly also voted against the George Floyd Police Reform Act, which enacts broadly popular reforms. Kelly turned his back on the Invest in America Act, which reauthorizes funding for roads, railways, and the transportation of hazardous materials. In the middle of a pandemic, Mike Kelly joined Republicans in their near unanimous vote against full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans.

Kristy Gnibus is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Conor Lamb is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district. Lamb won his seat via special election in 2018, after Republican former representative Jim Murphy resigned mid-term. Due to redistricting, Lamb currently represents the 18th district. Lamb is a former marine and a previous Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Justice Department's Pittsburgh headquarters.

Lamb cosponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 which, if passed, will strengthen unions and impose penalties on employers who violate labor laws. He also cosponsored the historic George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Lamb voted in favor of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which will authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate down the prices of prescription drugs. During the pandemic, Conor Lamb voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Lamb is facing Republican challenger Sean Parnell. Parnell plans to cut off opportunities for immigrants and further militarize the police. He is in favor of keeping healthcare linked to employment rather than being on its own and is against cost-cutting measures in the health insurance industry.

Conor Lamb is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Mike Doyle is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district. Doyle has a 25 year career in the House, and has long championed progressive causes.

Doyle has sponsored and cosponsored several pieces of legislation to slow the climate crisis and encourage the use of alternative energy forms, including the Climate Action Now Act of 2019. He supports Medicare-for-All and he voted in favor of authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate down the prices of prescription drugs. Doyle recently co-sponsored a House Resolution to strengthen unions’ rights to organize. During the pandemic, Mike Doyle voted for the HEROES act, which provides full extended unemployment insurance, stimulus checks, support for health care systems, protective gear and testing for frontline workers, mail-in election funding, funding for state budget shortages to prevent layoffs, and new small business loans. Republicans almost unanimously voted against all of these measures.

Mike Doyle is facing Republican challenger Luke Negron and Independent Don Nevills in the general election. Negron is an anti-choice candidate who believes the only reason people pursue abortion is because of an imagined social pressure. He supports Trump’s discriminatory views on immigration and calls for more strict enforcement of border control as a way to create a racial national identity. Negron also believes discrimination should be a legal practice for religious business owners.

Don Nevills is anti-choice but makes exceptions in “extreme circumstances.” He is against federal funding for affordable healthcare clinics that provide reproductive choices. Nevills also says he is opposed to universal health care coverage for all Americans.

Mike Doyle is the clear progressive choice in this race.