Keystone clashes: Millions pour into three Pennsylvania races that could decide control of the House

Millions of dollars have poured into three tossup House races in Pennsylvania that could determine which party takes control of the chamber come November. According to the Cook Political Report’s House Race Ratings, which assesses the competitiveness of all 435 House elections, 18 contests are rated as toss-ups. Pennsylvania is home to three of those toss-up races, the most of any state. All three districts are currently represented by Republicans and have become central to Democrats’ path to reclaiming the House majority, making Pennsylvania’s races some of the most closely watched. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), in particular, has not been shy about investing in these races. Just last week, Shapiro announced a multimillion-dollar statewide campaign to help elect Democrats across Pennsylvania, signaling the importance of these races for Democrats The Republican has outraised the Democrat in two of the three races, through June 30, but two of the Democrats enter the home stretch with more money banked. 7th district (Lehigh Valley) Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie has raised more than $4.3 million as of June 30, including $631,000 in the second quarter of the year. Nearly half of these Q2 funds ($300,000) came from joint fundraising committees. A JFC led by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) – the Grow the Majority PAC – funneled $88,281 to the campaign, while Defend Our Majority, another committee tied to Johnson and the National Republican Congressional Committee, contributed $49,244. Emmer Majority Builders, a committee tied to House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn), gave $32,495. Another joint-fundraising committee, Mackenzie for America, has ties to the National Republican Congressional Committee and is solely dedicated to re-electing Mackenzie, directing $76,225 to his campaign. Mackenzie has just over $2.9 million in cash on hand as the consequential race enters its final months. Mackenzie, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump in 2024, has again secured the president’s backing as he seeks a second term. Facing Mackenzie on the ballot is Democrat Bob Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association. Brooks has raised nearly $2.4 million as of June 30 and most of this money ($1.9 million) came from individual contributions. Stronger Together PA, a super PAC, has spent over $1.8 million on ads supporting Brooks. It is primarily funded by labor unions like the International Association of Firefighters, the Kamala Harris-tied Future Forward PAC, and The Bench, a political action committee focused on “recruiting and supporting” the next generation of Democratic leaders, according to its website. Brooks has just over $1 million in cash on hand as of June 30, having spent much of his war chest on a highly contested primary in May. Although Mackenzie continues to maintain a sizable fundraising advantage overall, Brooks significantly outpaced him in the second quarter, raising over $1.2 million between April and June compared to Mackenzie’s $631,000. Brooks’ strong second-quarter fundraising suggests that Democrats are ramping up investment for a seat they believe is within reach. 8th district (Scranton/Northeast Pennsylvania) Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, who is wrapping up his first term in Congress, has raised a total of $5.2 million this election cycle, spending $2.6 million. Bresnahan had $2.6 million in cash on hand as of June 30. In August 2025, End Citizens United – which advocates for campaign finance reforms – filed an ethics complaint with the Office of Congressional Conduct against Bresnahan, accusing him of failing to disclose ownership of a helicopter valued at $1.5 million. Lawmakers are required to report any earned income or holdings valued over $1,000 on their annual financial disclosure statements. Bresnahan contributed $55,836 to his own campaign committee, Rob for PA, from January 31 through June 30. He also took in $1.9 million in PAC contributions while his challenger, Democrat Paige Cognetti, received $429,599 from PACs. Cognetti is the current mayor of Scranton, the largest city in the 8th district, and has raised $4.6 million and spent over $1.2 million as of June 30. Nearly 90% of her funds have come from individual contributions. At the end of the second quarter, Cognetti had just over $3.4 million in cash on hand compared to Bresnahan’s $2.6 million, putting her in the fundraising lead as November approaches. 10th district (Harrisburg/York) Democrat Janelle Stelson has raised $6.4 million as of June 30, making her the top fundraising House candidate in Pennsylvania over the past year. Stelson’s fundraising advantage increased in the last quarter, with the former television anchor raising $1.7 million from April through June. Individual contributions account for nearly 77% of Stelson’s fundraising, totalling $4.9 million. Stelson was paid $45,000 between January 2024 and October 2025 by Voting for America to produce four podcast episodes titled “Voices of Central Pennsylvania With Janelle Stelson,” which no longer exist online. Voting for America is led by alumni of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The group reported less than $50,000 in total income in 2025, according to tax records. As of June 30, Stelson has nearly $4.5 million in cash on hand as she prepares for a rematch against Rep. Scott Perry (R), who defeated her by just over 1% in 2024. Perry, who has served seven terms in Congress including a stint as chair of the House Freedom Caucus from 2022 to 2024, has raised $5.2 million and spent $2.4 million, leaving him with $2.8 million in cash on hand. The veteran lawmaker’s war chest is dominated by individual contributions, making up 60% of his total dollars, with over half of that percentage coming from donors who contributed over $200 to the campaign. Perry also received more than $650,000 in PAC contributions, with $31,000 coming from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and $77,430 coming from a PAC affiliated with the Club for Growth, which advocates for free-enterprise. Republish this article We encourage you to republish our content. 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