The Cook Political Report has moved the 8th Congressional District from “Lean Republican” to “Likely Republican.”
David Wasserman noted that Democrat Kevin Strouse squeaked by primary opponent Shaughnessy Naughton by 817 votes.
Wasserman also pointed out that, according to the last campaign filings, Republican Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick had about $1.9 million, while Strouse had about $269,000.
“Fitzpatrick is up comfortably in early surveys of the contest and is benefiting from a favorable year,” he wrote.
Overall, the Cook Political Report expects Republicans to gain anywhere from two to 12 seats in the November election.
The district covers all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.
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Meanwhile, Strouse last week attended the grand opening party of the Pennsylvania Democrats’ field office in Doylestown.
“I’m excited to kick off the amazing work being done here in Doylestown to elect Democrats up and down the ticket,” he said. “While my opponent has become part of the problem of Washington dysfunction, families across the district have been hurting.”
Strouse promised to support an increase in the minimum wage and what he called “common-sense solutions.”
On the campaign front, volunteers are knocking on doors and making phone calls every day.
“I’m humbled and honored by all of my amazing supporters who are volunteering their time day in and day out to make sure that we can get new representation,” he said.
Strouse is a former Army Ranger and CIA counterterrorism analyst, and is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He lives in Middletown with his wife Amy and two young children. He is program director of Teach2Serve, a nonprofit that teaches social entrepreneurship to local high school students.
