New PA-1 Poll Finds Brian Fitzpatrick’s Voters Overwhelmingly Want Him to Support Bipartisan Governing Coalition
PA-1 Voters By a 58% -30% Margin Want A Bipartisan Coalition to Restore Stability To Government
PHILADELPHIA - A new poll sponsored by WelcomePAC and the Institute for Responsive Government Action has found that an overwhelming 58% of voters in Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick's district (R, PA-1) want him and other moderate Republicans to work with Democrats to form a bipartisan governing coalition. Even 36% of Republican voters in PA-1 support a bipartisan coalition. The poll of 524 likely voters from Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District was conducted by SurveyUSA from October 13th through October 16th. The poll is also in line with national polling from WelcomePAC that found 63% of national voters also want a bipartisan governing coalition in the House of Representatives.
Liam Kerr, co-founder of WelcomePAC, said: “Brian Fitzpatrick ran for office as a bipartisan problem solver, and his voters overwhelmingly want him to follow through with a bipartisan governing coalition. Congress is in chaos and voters are restless to restore stability, which is why a bipartisan governing majority makes sense. The voters want to see this because they know we can’t continue down this path of dysfunction and it’s up to people like Brian Fitzpatrick to end this charade and help form the government the people want.”
Sam Oliker-Friedland, president of Institute for Responsive Government Action, said: “For years, Congress hasn't been working efficiently to deliver for the American people — instead, elected officials have been more focused on partisanship than governing responsively and responsibly. Why? Congress is paralyzed by polarization. However, there's a simple solution here: A governing coalition made up of both major parties to put Americans first – and it’s clear that voters want that from this latest poll. The bottom line is something needs to change. Voters are sick and tired of the lackluster results coming out of our same old defective, crumbling government systems. It’s high time to finally come together to find common sense policy solutions to finally start working for our constituencies once again.”
The poll found voters would reward bipartisan path and punish hyperpartisan path:
· Fitzpatrick’s initial 6 point lead (44% to 38%) in a re-election matchup with a Democrat is erased after voters are informed of a potential GOP-only vote for Speaker (41% to 41%)
· Moderate voters overwhelmingly prefer a bipartisan path, and a clear majority are more likely to vote to re-elect Fitzpatrick after a bipartisan vote (61%) and less likely to vote to re-elect Fitzpatrick after a GOP-only vote (59%)
· After being informed of a potential GOP-only vote for Speaker, Fitzpatrick’s re-election among Moderates goes from within 2 points (39% to 41%) to down by 16 points (31% to 47%)
Since last year, WelcomePAC has invested more than $2 million supporting Democrats who can win over Republican voters. In the Speaker fight, WelcomePAC is targeting the votes of Republican members. These vulnerable incumbents pledged to solve problems by working across the aisle; it is now time for Democrats to welcome them in – or beat them.
For information on Flip Five, visit FlipFive.org or @Flip5 on X.
For media availability, contact Lauren Harper at lauren@welcomepac.org or (704) 222-3421.
ABOUT THE POLL
SurveyUSA interviewed a total of 650 adults from Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District 10/13/23 through 10/16/23. Of the adults, 583 were identified as being registered to vote; of the registered voters, 524 were determined by SurveyUSA to be likely to vote in the November 2024 election. This research was conducted using blended sample, mixed mode. Respondents reachable on a home telephone (37% of adults, 41% of registered voters, and 44% of likely voters) were interviewed on their home telephone in the recorded voice of a professional announcer, using telephone sample of registered voters purchased from Aristotle in Washington DC. Respondents unreachable on a landline telephone (63% of adults, 59% of registered voters, and 56% of likely voters) were shown the survey questions on the display of their smartphone, laptop or tablet, using online adult panelists chosen randomly by Lucid Holdings LLC of New Orleans. The combined pool of survey respondents was weighted to US Census targets for gender, age, race, home ownership, and 2020 recalled vote.
ABOUT WELCOMEPAC:
WelcomePAC launched in 2021 to support Democrats who could reach disaffected Republicans in previously uncontested races, raising more than $2 million in less than a year. The New York Times called us a “Centrist Insurgency,” and we continue to leverage swing voters on behalf of democracy in the 2024 cycle. Learn more at welcomepac.org.
ABOUT IRGA:
The Institute for Responsive Government Action is dedicated to ensuring state and federal governments work effectively for the very people they serve. IRGA works to provide data and polling across the political aisle in order to find practical policy solutions that make government systems more efficient, accessible, and responsive for everyday Americans.