Pennsylvania Congressional District 1’s Republican primary, April 23, features a real contrast between incumbent Brian Fitzpatrick, who has held a seat since 2107, and his challenger Mark Houck.
This District was the 8th District during Fitzpatrick’s first term and then became the 1st due to a court-ordered redistricting.
Houck and Fitzpatrick share a connection with the FBI. Fitzpatrick is a former FBI agent and Houck was arrested by the FBI.
Houck’s arrest stems from an incident outside The Philadelphia Planned Parenthood Clinic on Oct. 13, 2021.
Abortion activist Bruce Love claimed Houck assaulted him.
The Biden Administration filed charges against Houck — which not even Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner was willing to do — and Houck was arrested the early morning of Sept. 23, 2022 by a large contingent of feds in body armor and carrying assault rifles at his rural Bucks County home.
The FBI’s official statement back peddles the bullying, of course.
“No SWAT Team or SWAT operators were involved,” they say. “FBI agents knocked on Mr. Houck’s front door, identified themselves as FBI agents, and asked him to exit the residence. He did so and was taken into custody without incident pursuant to an indictment,”
He has been with the Pro-Life movement for many years. He has a BA from Catholic University in Human Resource Management and a Masters in Education from Holy Family University.
In Houck for Congress, he quotes James Madison “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined”. He also wants to defund the Department of Education,
Houck is negotiating a debate with Fitzpatrick as part of the Eagle’s Forum at The Fuge in Warminster on Sunday, April 14.
When Democratic State Representative John Galloway was elected to a judgeship, he resigned as state representative for PA 140 and caused another special election.
PA 140 is in the southeasternmost corner of Bucks County, next to New Jersey. Prior to this election, the PA House was D 101 and GOP 100.
The candidates were Democrat Jim Prokopiak and Republican Candace Cabannas.
The winner, Prokopiak, ran on more funding for K-12 education, raising the minimum wage, and safeguarding access to abortion.
Prokopiak’s victory gives the Dems a 102-100 margin. He had served on the Falls Township Board of Supervisors. A Levittown attorney, he was elected to the Pennsbury School Board.
Ms. Cabanas, was a home health care worker.
Yet another GOP Lawmaker, Joe Kerwin of the 125th, is a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, currently serving in East Africa. He is still in office but cannot vote on bills. Why a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard is serving in East Africa is another question entirely. Pennsylvania National Guard However, it seems they are deployed overseas on a regular basis.
Because of Pennsylvania’s importance in the national race, our races are receiving coverage from national websites that they normally would not.
“Republicans continue to lie about the last election and are intent on supporting an insurrectionist as their nominee, ever since 60-plus legislators signed a letter urging Congress to throw out the votes of Pennsylvania’s voters,” said state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who represents parts of Philadelphia. “Their current idea is putting the Auditor General in charge of auditing all future elections — a man who himself is an election denier.”
Couldn’t it just be that the Democrats had a stronger candidate in a district that has been Democrat since 1969? But then the issue would be local rather than national and would require more insight, rather than the easy payoff.
GOP Catching Up To Dems In Bucks Registration — Republican activist Scott Presler reported on X, yesterday, that Bucks County, Pa is just 2,651 voters away from flipping back to the GOP.
Pennsylvania Lincoln Dinner Gossip — Here’s some gossip from the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner, Feb. 2.
When keynote speaker Ben Carson threw a zinger at Nikki Haley, 10 state committee people stood up and left. This included Philly GOP Chairman Vince Fenerty and his table.
York County District Attorney Dave Sunday was solidly endorsed in his bid to become state attorney general. Tough break Craig Williams who reportedly is still circulating petitions.
Bucks County Chairwoman Pat Poprik anticipates strong voter turnout. It was revealed, though, that she and others in leadership are being sued by “the far right MAGA group there” over access to petition signing meetings.
Whoever could they be? Betcha they are friends of ours. Go get ’em Barry, Dawn and Andy.
There are primary battles in Bucks for delegates, committee seats and, of course, congress.
A primary battle for congress looms in Delco as well for the the 5th District seat held by Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon. It’s between Dasha Pruett and Alfie Goodwin. The Delco GOP has endorsed Alfie.
In Philly, Sam Oropeza-backed Patrick Gushue is taking on party-backed Aizaz Gill to unseat Democrat Kevin Boyle in the 172nd District State House race.
The competition is good news and shows that Pennsylvania’s GOP is far from dead.
One point of concern, however, is Montgomery County. They are short committee people and can’t find candidates for four State House seats in the eastern part of the county.
On the other hand, there is battle for the Swarthmore Western committeeman seat between Bob Small and Jim Rivello.
It is speculated that Rivello is being backed by “far right MAGA groups.”
Bob, however, is one of the excellent writers at BillLawrenceOnline.com and we hope all vote for him.
Senate candidate Dave McCormick gave an hour-long speech which was apparently well received. We are going to have trouble filling in his block, and we mean for the general election.
We like air conditioning and we don’t want crickets on our menu.
By the way, Oropeza, who just ran for Philly Council, and David Oh, who had been a long-time member of Philadelphia Council, are moving to Delco this year. They cite better schools for their kids and less crime.
Mark Houck Winning Committee Votes — Mark Houck won the 7th and 10th districts yesterday, Jan. 29, in the battle for GOP endorsement for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District.
The primary election is April 23.
The district is Bucks County along with eastern Montgomery County.
Incumbent Uniparty Republican Brian Fitzpatrick has held office since 2017.
In previous campaign challenges, Fitzpatrick has practically swept the endorsement races.
Houck won the 7th district 9 to 6 and the 10th district 7 to 2. He lost the 8th district 11 to 10 and the 11th district 20 to 4.
Again, though, the long-time incumbent should be overwhelmingly winning these races.
Houck Explains Candidacy At Bucks Meet And Greet — Congressional candidate Mark Houck explained why he was running to a dozen persons at a meet-and-greet petition party at the Doylestown home of Dawn Bancroft.
Houck is seeking to replace incumbent Brian Fritzpatrick as the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District. The district is Bucks County and part of eastern Montgomery County.
Lawfare is the use of the legal system against political opponents while letting supporters break the law at will. Examples would be 22-year sentences for Jan. 6 protestors while dropping all charges from the far more destructive attacks on the White House and its surroundings in the summer of 2020.
Or giving the guy who nearly killed Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) just 30 days albeit that was later extended to seven months with six months home detention.
Or what happened to Houck.
Houck had long worked as a sidewalk councilor outside the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center in Philadelphia and had always taken pains to follow federal and local laws staying 50 feet from the entrance doors. In October 2021, anti-life activist Bruce Love approached Houck’s 12-year-old son and shouted obscenities at him. Houck pushed him away. Love reported an assault to police. Local authorities felt the complaint was spurious and took no action.
Yes, even District Attorney Larry Krasner declined to press charges.
So the Biden “Justice” Department got involved and charged him with violating the FACE Act — a federal law that makes it a crime to injure, intimidate, or interfere with anyone providing abortion services.
Houck’s attorney asked for a time and place for Houck to surrender himself.
What happened next was something one would think could never happen in America.
At about 6:30 a.m., Sept. 23, 2022, FBI agents in helmets, body armor and carrying assault rifles descended on the Houck family’s rural Kintnersville home. There was loud banging on the front door and the bell ringing insistently. Houck asked who it was. FBI came the answer and Houck was ordered to open up. He could not see who they were, it should be noted.
Wonder if our brilliant feds considered how criminals can use this ploy for a home invasion. It would certainly make it less likely for a thug to have to face a homeowner with a gun.
Anyway, Houck told him he had seven babies in the house which might have been a bit of a fib as his kids were past the infant stage. It calmed down the lawmen, though, and he let them in.
His wife, Ryan-Marie, at this point was on the scene. The feds were pointing their guns at Houck and the children. Ryan-Marie demanded to see a warrant. The feds told her they didn’t need one. Houck who was in a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops asked if he could put on some clothes.
The request was refused. Houck was handcuffed in front of his kids and hauled away.
Houck said he was shackled with a belly belt and chained to a table for six hours before being released on his own recognizance.
He expected to be offered a plea deal. His attorneys, however, told them that was unlikely as the feds win 98 precent of their trials. It’s the accused that asks for the plea bargain, his attorneys said.
Houck was looking at an 11 year sentence plus fines.
Houck declined to seek a deal. As trial date approached, however, the feds shockingly offered one calling for no prison time or fines. His attorneys urged Houck to accept but he refused.
They said to talk to his wife and he agreed.
Ryan-Marie said he could take the deal but if he did he couldn’t come back.
They prayed about it. Taking the deal would set a precedent that would weaken free speech for all Americans, they realized.
Houck was going to trial.
The jury was picked. Many, if not most, had been supportive in some way of Planned Parenthood.
The trial ended Jan. 30, 2023. The jury had deliberated for but an hour before declaring not guilty.
It’s a time of miracles.
Houck was then approached by parties asking him to take on Fitzpatrick who votes with the Democrats 70 percent of the time.
He prayed about it and decided to.
Believe it or not, he’s getting support from Bucks GOP committee people. Fitzpatrick is still getting most of it but he shouldn’t be cocky.
Houck’s second issue is immigration. He said Fitzpatrick had ignored it until just a few weeks ago when Speaker Mike Johnson convinced him to visit Eagle Pass, Texas to see the crisis for himself.
Houck says that 10 improvised explosive devices have been found near the border. What about the ones that haven’t been found?
Central Bucks President Sworn In With Sex Book — Karen Smith, a Democrat who was re-elected to the Central Bucks School Board Nov. 7, was sworn in Dec. 4 as the board’s new president.
Among the books upon which she placed her was “Flamer” by Mike Curato.
The graphic novel includes characters discussing pornography, erections, masturbation, penis size, and an illustration that depicts naked teenage boys.
Mark Houck Cited By CatholicVote — Mark Houck, the civil rights activist who is challenging incumbent Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick in the state’s 2024 Republican primary election, is among November’s “heroes” in CatholicVote.org’s monthly Heroes & Zeros feature.
The snippet reads:
Mark Houck, the Pennsylvania father and pro-life activist who was acquitted of violating the FACE Act in January, announced this month that he is suing the Biden administration’s Department of Justice. His goal? To “put an end” to the Biden administration’s “unjust persecutions” of pro-lifers.
“I think if the DOJ gets hit hard enough and there’s a big enough black eye against them, then they’re going to cease and desist from coming after pro-life people and people of faith,” he said.
Prior to his acquittal, Houck faced a possible sentence of up to 11 years in federal prison. A jury found him not guilty after only an hour of deliberation.
Fitzpatrick represents the 1st District which consists of Bucks County along with parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia.
RightForBucks GOP Bylaws Project — Andy Meehan has let us know that RightForBucks of Bucks County, Pa. has a new webpage concerning Pennsylvania GOP bylaws.
“Patriots from all over the Commonwealth should be following our lawsuit and filing their own when they discover that their bylaws are illegitimate, unregistered, non-compliant,” Andy says.
Brian Fitzpatrick To Be Primaried By Mark Houck — Civil Rights activist Mark Houck announced, today, Aug. 2, that he will challenge incumbent Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick in the state’s 2024 Republican primary election, which will be April 23.
The announcement was made on Don’t Back Down hosted by Stan Casacio and Andy Teitelman on WWDB.
Fitzpatrick represents the 1st District which consists of Bucks County along with parts of Montgomery County and Philadelphia.
Houck made national news when he was arrested at his home the early morning of Sept. 23 by 25 heavily armed FBI agents who arrived in a convoy of 15 vehicles.
Houck was charged with a federal law prohibiting the blocking of access to abortion clinics for incident that occurred in October 2021. He was acquitted by a Philadelphia jury on Jan. 30 when it was revealed he was no where near the clinic’s entrance and the incident, which involved minor shoving, had been instigated by abortion-escort Bruce Love. Love walked 50 feet to where Houck was and berated his daughter.
Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, is known for his hatred of the anti-globalist MAGA movement. He was one of just nine House Republicans to vote to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress.
Houck is a teacher who has a masters degree in education.
