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Live Results: Cartwright, Bresnahan vie for Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District

By
Published  November 5, 2024 8:11pm EST
2024 Election
FOX 29 Philadelphia

The Brief

    • Polls have closed in Pennsylvania and vote counting has begun in the state’s 8th Congressional District.
    • Democratic incumbent Matt Cartwright is facing off against Republican opponent Rob Bresnahan Jr.
    • The race is one of the most highly watched congressional races in the country this election.
    • Track the latest results and updates in the article below. 

PHILADELPHIA - The polls have officially closed after Pennsylvania voters cast their ballots for president and several key races across the state, including its 8th Congressional District in the northeast.

Polling locations across Pennsylvania were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day as residents decided to elect either Democratic incumbent Matt Cartwright, or his Republican opponent Rob Bresnahan Jr.

Cartwright is seeking his fourth re-election to represent the highly watched Congressional district which voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

The race is also reported to be the most expensive for any of the state’s 17 U.S. House districts, raising a combined total of $11.55 million, according to AdImpact.

Both candidates debated key issues, including immigration, abortion, and Ukraine and Israel when they came face-to-face for the first and final time last month.

Rep. Matt Cartwright (L) is facing Rob Breshnahan Jr. in a closely watched U.S. House race in northeastern Pennsylvania. (Getty Images) 

The 8th District race - along with the 1st, 7th, 10th, and 17th - are considered critical to control of the narrowly divided U.S. House in this year’s election. 

The magic number of pickups is four for Democrats to take control of the House, magnifying the stakes of each House race.

In Pennsylvania, the parties began the year viewing five races as competitive, as Democrats defend their 9-8 advantage in the state's 17-seat delegation.

Adding to the stakes is the fact that Pennsylvania is home to one of the "Biden 16" — the 16 House districts nationally that President Joe Biden won in 2020 but are represented by Republicans.

On the opposite side, Pennsylvania is also home to one of the eight districts that former President Donald Trump won but are represented by Democrats. Five of those Democrats ran for reelection.