THE PENNSYLVANIA ANTI-EXTREMISM VOTING GUIDE
This year, we have a real shot at finally getting our government to focus on making things cost less and work better for Pennsylvanians. This voting guide walks you through our plan to win in the midterms and get Pennsylvania – and the nation – back on the right path!
HARRISBURG IS BROKEN AND OUR VOTE IS THE FIX
The work we did in 2024 got us a PA House run by common-sense legislators who are passing bills to make life easier and bring costs down. But extremists in the PA Senate block them, so the Governor we elected never gets to sign them into law.
This is what we mean when we say Harrisburg is BROKEN, but our votes in November can break the deadlock. We need to keep and expand the House, take back the Senate and keep the Governor’s office working for the people.
With all three, we’ll finally be able to protect voting rights and reproductive rights, give local communities the zoning power to protect us from the harms of data centers, and keep book bans out of schools.
Extremists hope we won’t show up so they can have two more years of inaction. We can’t let that happen!
THE PENNSYLVANIA TRIFECTA STARTS HERE
Pennsylvanians want affordable communities, strong public schools, good-paying jobs, and a government that delivers results. Harrisburg isn’t delivering.
Bills with broad support – from raising the minimum wage to protecting voting rights and investing in public transit – die in the PA Senate. All of it passed in the House and stopped cold.
Change the Senate this November and those bills get signed into law. That’s our opportunity.
Our goals are clear: The Pennsylvania Trifecta!
- Protect and expand the PA House majority.
- Flip the PA Senate.
- Hold the Governor’s office.
This year’s elections can build a Harrisburg that delivers results instead of gridlock. After that it’s up to all of us to hold our leaders to it.
We’ve seen what strong turnout does. In 2025, Pennsylvania voters elected student-focused school board members across our state and protected our courts. That happened because people showed up for races most voters skip.
Now it’s time to bring that same energy to the 2026 midterms.
Here’s the plan.
It starts at the bottom of the ballot. Organizing early in critical PA House races builds the turnout to make key state Senate districts competitive — and that same turnout carries up to competitive U.S. House races. The road to a new majority in Congress runs through Pennsylvania.
KEY RACES ON PENNSYLVANIANS’ BALLOTS
This year we have the following elections:
PA State House
All 203 seats are on the ballot. We have a one seat lead. Let’s expand it.
PA State Senate
Twenty five of the 50 seats are up this year. We need to hold the seats we have and flip three to take control of the chamber.
Governor and Lt. Governor
Governor Josh Shapiro and Lt. Governor Austin Davis have displayed true leadership in protecting Pennsylvanians. We need to keep them in their seats.
U.S. House of Representatives
The road to taking back Congress runs through PA! All 17 of Pennsylvania’s seats are up. Four of them are real opportunities to replace extremists with people who share our values:
- Brian Fitzpatrick (PA 01) claims to be a centrist, but he was the deciding vote for the largest cuts to Medicaid in U.S. history, paid for by tax breaks to billionaires. His later vote changed nothing. We’re supporting Bob Harvie, the Bucks County Commissioner because he knows firsthand how bad policies make things worse for families. He’ll fight for us, not billionaires.
- Ryan Mackenzie (PA 07) voted for Trump’ s agenda that made affordability a real challenge here in PA. We’re supporting Bob Brooks, a firefighter who spent twenty years fighting for working families, and earned respect on both sides of the aisle.
- Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA 08) is using his time in office to personally profit off of stock trading while the rest of us face rising prices on everything. We’re supporting Paige Cognetti, the Scranton mayor who’s lowered crime and will bring transparency and accountability to D.C.
- Scott Perry (PA 10) backs the Trump agenda down the line, including pardons for people convicted of crimes related to January 6th. We’re supporting Red Wine & Blue member Janelle Stelson. We need leaders like her who will stand up to the extremists in D.C.
You can use our tools below to look up your sample ballot and see Red Wine & Blue’s recommendations in priority races.
RED FLAGS: HOW TO SPOT AN EXTREMIST CANDIDATE
Watch out for candidates who:
- Campaign on “parental rights” but do not give examples.
- Refuse to support equality or have supported legislation that harms our most vulnerable citizens.
- Want to defund public schools in favor of expanding private vouchers.
- Are backed by out-of-state extremist groups and billionaires.
- Give vague answers on protecting PA from the harm of Data Centers (many previously voted for harmful legislation and now claim they support moratoriums).
WHY DO STATE LEGISLATURES MATTER?
While it’s easy to become consumed by flashy headlines out of Washington, the issues that have the greatest impact on our communities are decided closer to home.
When state legislatures focus on solving problems instead of obstruction, they can expand access to quality healthcare, fund public schools, protect personal freedoms, raise wages, and increase economic opportunity. They oversee elections and pass maps for voting districts which lock in representation for the next decade.
Pay attention to these races and multiply your impact on the future of your community.
Why does it feel like nothing ever gets done in Harrisburg? Why do so many bills get introduced but so few ever become law? And why are young voters across Pennsylvania feeling disenchanted with a system that seems stuck in neutral? Watch our recent event to get the answers to these pressing questions, and more!
Get Ready to vote!
Want a personalized ballot to take with you to the polls? You can create one and unlock other special features by signing up for election reminders. Just enter your street address, then scroll down to enter your name and email address under “Never Miss An Election!”
ELECTION PROTECTION HOTLINE
Have you experienced a problem with voting or at your polling location? Call or text the Election Protection experts at 866-OUR-VOTE!