Environmental group spends $1.25M on Fitzpatrick and Stelson

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(The Center Square) – An organization that aims to “defend climate champions” is investing $1.25 million into two closely watched Pennsylvania congressional races. 

Environmental Defense Fund Action Votes, which believes that the “clean energy economy can’t wait,” is backing GOP U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s bid for another term representing Pennsylvania’s 1st U.S. House District, while hoping to unseat GOP U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvania’s 10th U.S. House District. 

Jack Pratt, senior political director of EDF Action Votes, described the GOP incumbents as “two sides of the same coin” to The Center Square. 

“Brian Fitzpatrick: he's someone who's been a long-time champion of clean energy and environmental protection,” Pratt told The Center Square, noting that the organization has endorsed him the past few cycles. “He's someone that's reliably out front on climate change, on protecting clean water, and willing to break with his party at times to do that.” 

“Conversely…Scott Perry consistently works to undermine environmental progress and clean energy, and was really out in front, for instance, in trying to overturn incentives for clean energy in the last reconciliation bill,” Pratt continued. “But that's a record that goes back many years, and so, we're working in that race to try and replace him with someone who's much more pragmatic and willing to, again, I think work to advance protections for the environment, of clean water, and public health and so forth.”

Punchbowl News first reported about investments made by EDF Action Votes into several congressional races earlier this month.  

Fitzpatrick, first elected to the U.S. House in 2016, is facing Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat, in his bid for a sixth term representing the seat in the suburbs north of Philadelphia. 

Perry, currently serving his seventh term in Congress, is being challenged by Democrat Janelle Stelson, a former central Pennsylvania television anchor, for the district representing south central Pennsylvania.

EDF Action Votes has an ad up in each district. 

The 30-second digital spot boosting Fitzpatrick touts his bipartisan bonafides and begins with a narrator saying, “You can't spell bipartisan without B R I A N.”

“Fitting for a congressman like Brian Fitzpatrick because he works across the aisle to get things done, protecting clean water, fighting to keep data centers from driving up electric bills, even standing up to his own party on health care,” the ad reads. “It's no wonder he's ranked America's most bipartisan congressman. For Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania comes before politics. Bipartisan, Brian. It's who he is, and it's exactly what we need.”

The 30-second ad running on television in the Harrisburg media market features a small business owner taking jabs at Perry’s voting record. 

“These days, costs are rising everywhere, and instead of helping, Scott Perry spent almost 15 years in D.C. working for his wealthy donors,” the small business owner says in the ad. “He voted to spike our electric bills, taking almost $300,000 from energy companies.”

“He voted to let Wall Street charge higher junk fees, taking over half a million from the financial industry. This isn't the cost of doing business,” she added. “It's the cost of keeping Scott Perry in D.C. It's time for change.”

Pratt told The Center Square that the organization is also doing mail ads, in addition to the television ads in Perry’s district and digital ads in Fitzpatrick’s. He said that EDF Action Votes has spent $1 million against Perry’s bid and $250,000 in support of Fitzpatrick. 

As the balance of the U.S. House is on the line in November, Fitzpatrick and Perry’s races are seeing increased attention and spending. 

In addition to Fitzpatrick and Perry’s bids, the re-election campaigns of freshman GOP U.S. Reps. Rob Bresnahan and Ryan Mackenzie are also garnering more focus from groups inside the Keystone State and beyond. 

Pratt explained that, as of now, EDF Action Votes was not planning on getting involved in Bresnahan or Mackenzie’s races, noting they are being selective about which contests they want to spend their $15 million budget for this cycle. 

“You have to pick and choose your races,” Pratt explained.

When discussing Fitzpatrick and Perry, Pratt said “we have you know an ability to take out one member who's really problematic and help support one who's been a really important ally, and so those are both really important to us.”

Pratt believes that there’s a myriad of opportunities for Congress next session to enact legislative reforms and “win-win” opportunities. 

“I think there's been a really big focus on, as you've seen, all these candidates are really focused on trying to reduce costs, and that's clearly the message that voters are sending to Washington that costs are out of control,” he said. “As you help reduce energy costs by bringing more clean energy online, for instance, but also, areas that have some bipartisan, clear bipartisan support, such as focusing on reducing pollution in water.”

“I mean, something that Brian Fitzpatrick's been really focused on, and that's something that you know you might have an opportunity to work on on both sides of the aisle,” he continued. “So, I think that there are actually some opportunities next year, no matter what the outlook is in the overall chambers in Washington for some progress on our issues.”

The Center Square was unsuccessful in reaching Harvie and Perry for comment on Tuesday.