Philadelphia Inquirer: Ashley Ehasz for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District | Endorsement

by The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board

Published Oct. 17, 2024, 5:00 a.m. ET

Philadelphia, PA - Before Donald Trump hijacked the Republican Party, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick was a reasonable choice for a swing district that covers Bucks County and a sliver of Montgomery County.

Fitzpatrick, who was first elected in 2016, leaned right but aimed for the moderate middle. But as Trump bent the GOP-controlled House to his will, Fitzpatrick has come up small on major issues involving women’s rights and defending democracy.

He voted for a 20-week national abortion ban, against legislation that would have codified Roe v. Wade, and for defense budgets that blocked the military from paying for female service members to travel to obtain abortions.

Fitzpatrick also voted against impeaching Trump for his role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He also voted against impeaching Trump for trying to extort Ukraine.

In short, when it really matters, Fitzpatrick has been on the wrong side of history. His inability to stand up to Trump or support women’s rights is a major concern if the former president is reelected and Republicans maintain control of the House.

That is why The Inquirer endorses Ashley Ehasz to represent Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District.

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.) has voiced concern as to whether House Speaker Mike Johnson will certify the election if Trump loses. That is partly why she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and made clear the GOP can’t be trusted to stay in power.

“I think it’s very important the Republicans not be a majority in the House come January 2025,” Cheney said.

To his credit, Fitzpatrick did vote to certify the 2020 election for Joe Biden and pledged to do the same this time around. But it is unclear if he supports Trump, who is unfit for office, or if he would support a national abortion ban.

Putting the country before the party should not be a difficult choice. But it is difficult to tell where Fitzpatrick stands on many important issues. He refused to meet with The Inquirer Editorial Board, has not debated Ehasz, and has largely run a stealth campaign with limited public availability.

The Inquirer endorsed Fitzpatrick in 2018 and in 2020, but since then he has repeatedly refused to sit for interviews with this board. A public official who can’t make their case for reelection should not be reelected.

Fortunately, voters in Pennsylvania’s 1st District have a better choice in Ehasz, a 2010 graduate of West Point who served in Iraq and Kuwait. She ran against Fitzpatrick in 2022 and lost by nearly 10 percentage points. But recent polls show a narrow race this time.

Ehasz hopes increased name recognition, better funding, and her passionate voice for women’s reproductive rights will be the difference in November.

“Brian Fitzpatrick, frankly, has deliberately misled a lot of these voters on his record on choice,” Ehasz said in a meeting with the Editorial Board. “He has voted for a national abortion ban which would overturn Pennsylvania state law and our protections here. He voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act twice. So just to be clear, he is anti-choice.”

Ehasz, who received a master’s degree from the University of Oxford and works as a public service sector consultant, said defending democracy is another top issue facing voters. Unlike Fitzpatrick, she would hold Trump accountable.

Electing Ehasz could also help tip control away from a Republican Congress beholden to Trump that was the least productive in history.

A Democratic-controlled House would also provide a needed check on Trump’s power if he is elected. It would also help prevent the GOP from enacting Project 2025, a sweeping plan to instill far-right conservative personnel and policies across every corner of the federal government.

Ehasz, who was raised by a single mother and is not a career politician, is also more in tune with the real-world challenges facing middle-class voters in her district. She could focus attention and support on pocketbook issues as well as mental health, substance abuse, and immigration reform without having to worry about where Trump stands.

Voters in the 1st District should give Ashley Ehasz their support.