Skip to content
Politics
Link copied to clipboard

Scott Wallace wins Democratic U.S. House primary in Bucks County

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the Republican freshman congressman from Bucks County, will face off in November with millionaire Scott Wallace, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday night. The first congressional district race is expected to be one of the most closely watched as Democrats try to flip the U.S. House of Representatives from red to blue.

Democrat Scott Wallace is worth between $127 million and $309 million, according to our analysis.
Democrat Scott Wallace is worth between $127 million and $309 million, according to our analysis.Read morePHOTO VIA WALLACE CAMPAIGN

Democrat Scott Wallace, a philanthropist and grandson of a former vice president, won the Democratic primary for U.S. House in the First District of Pennsylvania.

The general election campaign will be between Wallace, 66, and incumbent Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, 44, who handily won the Republican primary. The race will be one of the most closely watched races in the nation as Democrats try to flip the U.S. House of Representatives from red to blue. It is also expected to be expensive.

While it will be welcome news to the Democratic Party that Wallace has plenty of cash to spend on the race – his wealth is estimated to be at more than $100 million – it will likely be used against him by the Fitzpatrick campaign. His main opponent in the primary, Rachel Reddick, argued the multimillionaire was out of touch with the district.

>>READ MORE: With 5 women's wins, Pa.'s all-male congressional delegation may be ending

During his victory speech at the Wyndham in Feasterville-Trevose, Wallace thanked Reddick for her public service. She is a Navy veteran.

Wallace then took aim at President Trump several times during his speech, according to a WHYY reporter, saying "What's the opposite of drain the swamp?" and "Make America Sane Again."

Wallace outspent Reddick's campaign by a 7-to-1 margin with much of the $2.4 million spent as of end of April coming from his own pockets. He also had the backing of the Bucks County Democratic Committee and other powerful county Democrats. And while this was his first campaign, he is the grandson of former Vice President Henry A. Wallace. Wallace also worked on the staff of two U.S. Senate committees early in his career.

Reddick, 33, seemed to be the ideal candidate for the Democrats in the "Year of the Woman": she is a mother and a veteran. She was also endorsed by Emily's List. On the other hand, she was a registered Republican until 2016. Both Reddick and Wallace had recently moved back to the district.

>>READ MORE: Pa. primary results reflect national fight for control of Congress: It's a referendum on Trump

A third Democrat, Steve Bacher, campaigned as the true progressive in the race, but fell short in fundraising.