Regional congressional incumbents to have quiet primary season
Though some local state officeholders will be facing challenges from within their own party in the May 19 primary election, congressional incumbents will be able to enjoy a much quieter season.
In the 14th Congressional District, Republican Guy Reschenthaler will face no GOP challenger for the seat he has held since 2019. Now the chief deputy whip for the majority-Republican House, Reschenthaler has easily won re-election in a heavily red district that includes all of Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, and portions of Somerset, Westmoreland and Indiana counties. The only Democratic candidate to file for the race is Alan Bradstock, a U.S. Army veteran and retired FBI agent.
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, the Democrat who represents the 17th Congressional District, will also not have a primary challenger. Two Republicans are vying to take on Deluzio in the fall: Tony Guy, Beaver County’s sheriff; and Jesse James Vodvarka, who manages a family-owned manufacturing business. The 17th Congressional District includes all of Beaver County and parts of Allegheny County, including Mt. Lebanon and Carnegie.
Unlike Deluzio and Reschenthaler, in the 12th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Summer Lee will be facing a Democratic primary challenge in May from William Parker, an app developer who has previously run for Allegheny County executive, U.S. Senate and Pittsburgh mayor. Another challenger to Lee, Turtle Creek Mayor Adam Forgie, announced he was abandoning his bid this week.
If Lee wins the primary election in May, she will face Republican James Hayes in the fall. Hayes was the only Republican to file for the race. Hayes was the 2024 GOP nominee in the district, and was defeated by Lee by 13 percentage points.
The 12th Congressional District includes a large portion of Allegheny County, including Pittsburgh, and a portion of Westmoreland County. Some of the Allegheny County communities Lee represents include Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair and Bridgeville.