Republican Brian Fitzpatrick runs for third term in Pa.'s 1st District against Ashley Ehasz

For Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, politics is in his blood.

The three-term Republican U.S. congressman for Pennsylvania's 1st District took over the seat for his brother, Mike Fitzpatrick, in 2017 — and he's not planning on giving it up just yet. He faces a challenge from Democratic newcomer Ashley Ehasz on Nov. 8.

He previously defended his seat against Christina Finello in 2020 and multimillionaire Scott Wallace in 2018. He beat out Pennsylvania General Assembly member Steve Santarsiero for his first term.

The 1st District represents all of Bucks County and a small group of communities just over border in Montgomery County.

Over the past six years, Fitzpatrick has built a reputation for himself as a Republican who can reach across the aisle. He has been ranked the most bipartisan member of the House of Representatives by the Lugar Center's Bipartisan Index for three years running, and has broken with the GOP on a number of issues. He was one of nine Republicans to vote to protect DREAMers in 2021, and the only Republican to vote for the Voting Rights Advancement Act in 2019 (though he voted against the 2021 version).

Fitzpatrick has been tough to pin down on the election's hot button issue of reproductive rights. He voted against the Women's Health Protection Act in 2021, and voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act in 2017. But he was one of just three Republicans to vote for the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which passed the House shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Fitzpatrick does not currently include any information on abortion on the "issues" section of his campaign website.

In an interview with the Bucks County Courier Times, Fitzpatrick said he supported universal background checks and opposed fracking in the Delaware River Basin.

Prior to joining Congress, Fitzpatrick was an FBI special agent targeting political corruption as well as international counterterrorism and counterintelligence. His work spanned 14 years and brought him to Iraq, where he was embedded with U.S. Special Forces. 

Fitzpatrick held a number of leadership positions at the bureau, including national supervisor for the Public Corruption Unit and national director for the Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement Program. In addition to his work with the FBI, he also served as a federal prosecutor. He is a licensed EMT and CPA.

For more information on Fitzpatrick's background and platform, visit his campaign website.