U.S Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick wins re-election, defeating Democratic challenger Ashley Ehasz in race representing Bucks County

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican, won his fifth term in Congress Tuesday night after defeating Democrat and Army veteran Ashley Ehasz.

The former FBI agent who has staked his political reputation on being moderate won his rematch against Ehasz to represent Bucks County .

Fitzpatrick, 50, ran a quiet campaign , avoiding the media and questions about whether he supports former President Donald Trump .

His reelection is yet another show of force for the Republicans in the purple county. Fitzpatrick managed to retain the seat he's held since 2017, even as Republican lawmakers in Philadelphia's other collar counties lost their races to Democratic challengers.

Democrats have long had their eyes on Fitzpatrick's seat as a key flip opportunity. Bucks County has never voted to put Trump in the White House, but its voters have shown a willingness to split their tickets. Fitzpatrick has built a reputation as an independent-minded Republican, putting distance between himself and Trump, even as he often avoided outright criticism of the former president

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This year, Democrats hoped that Trump being back on the ballot alongside a message about abortion rights would help propel Ehasz, 36, to victory.

But national Democrats did not devote the same number of resources to Ehasz's race as they did to other competitive districts and the Democratic challenger largely relied upon the same messaging she used in her failed 2022 campaign.