The suburbs of Pittsburgh make up the most competitive congressional district in western Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Representative Chris Deluzio will be facing off against Republican challenger Rob Mercuri.
Representative Deluzio is a veteran that served in Iraq. He worked on cybersecurity efforts at the University of Pittsburgh before being elected in 2022. He has pushed for federal rail safety efforts following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which was close to his district.
Deluzio has been supportive of unions during his time in office, which has earned him the support of some labor groups. He has also voted with some of Congress’ most progressive groups.
Republican challenger Rob Mercuri is also a veteran. He was elected to the state House in 2021, and “presents himself as a moderate Republican in the image of a Mitt Romney or Joe Rockey, the kind of candidate for whom suburban moderates upset about inflation might vote. For example, he points to funding increases for education for which he voted in Harrisburg.” Mercuri has said he will not support a federal abortion ban if elected for federal office.
Representative Deluzio won the district by seven percentage points in 2022 and has fundraised more than his challenger this cycle.
The district has previously voted in candidates that have a more moderate approach.
