New upscale fine dining restaurant opens in Bucks County. See video
The former Sycamore Grille has reopened as Mélange on Sycamore, an upscale restaurant featuring a cuisine of both Louisiana and Italian dishes.
House Speaker Mike Johnson fundraised in Bucks County with U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.The two-day trip raised approximately $600,000 for four Republican House candidates in Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania has more House swing races than any other state, according to the Cook Political Report.Fitzpatrick is considered the most bipartisan member of Congress, but faces a challenge from Democrats.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was in Bucks County fundraising with U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick last week as Pennsylvania emerges as a critical battleground for the House majority this November.
The news comes after Politico reported that Johnson was headed for Pennsylvania to fundraise with Fitzpatrick, and fellow U.S. Reps. Scott Perry, R-York, Ryan Mackenzie, R-Lehigh, and Rob Bresnahan, R-Luzerne, amid historically low approval ratings for Republican U.S. President Donald Trump.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report still rates Fitzpatrick’s seat “likely Republican,” but the other three races are toss-ups in their analysis, giving Pennsylvania more House swing races than any other state this year.
Johnson stopped in Bucks County to greet supporters on his way to the Lehigh Valley, Fitzpatrick campaign spokesperson Heather Roberts confirmed April 13.
The two-day trip raised approximately $600,000 between the four candidates, according to Johnson’s campaign.
Is Pennsylvania a swing state in 2026?
Fitzpatrick has amassed one of the largest war chests among vulnerable House Republicans, though it still pales in comparison to end-of-year totals for other House members such as Johnson and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-New York.
“This week we will be reporting $1.17M raised in Q1, and $7.66M cash on hand,” Roberts said. “This will be a 15–1 advantage over any of our competitors,” she said.
Fitzpatrick is also ranked by some analysts as the most bipartisan member of Congress, according to the latest data from 2023.
But Democrats point to last year’s election turnout and recent controversial votes as evidence that Fitzpatrick, who has weathered numerous Democratic challenges over the years, is in jeopardy.
“Pennsylvania Democrats saw historic victories in Bucks County last year after sweeping every row office in the county,” state Democratic Party spokesperson Jack Doyle said, adding that some of Fitzpatrick’s votes, including on an early version of President Trump’s budget bill, could sway voters.
That early bill passed the House by just one vote. The final version amended by the Senate, which Fitzpatrick voted against, had more severe health care cuts than the prior bill.
What will Bucks County’s midterm election voter turnout be like?
Democrats will likely see higher-than-normal turnout again in 2026, Allentown-based Republican strategist Sam Chen said.
But he added that he also expects more Republicans to vote this year than in 2025 because midterms turn out different voters than local races.
“The challenge is going to be figuring out how much of that anger from the Democrats that drove turnout is going to stay, and then how much of the cooling from Republicans is going to still be the case,” Chen said, adding that we may end up seeing historic turnout from both parties.
Despite rising dissatisfaction with Trump, Democrats aren’t necessarily popular, either. A generic congressional Democrat runs just 6 points ahead of a Republican, a nationwide CNN poll found — much lower than their advantage in 2018 or 2006, despite Trump’s historically low approval rating.
And the latest internal polling put out by the Democratic establishment’s candidate, Bob Harvie, appear to mirror those trends: Despite a plunge in Fitzpatrick’s favorability since 2018, he’s leading Harvie by 6 points, and Fitzpatrick garners more cross-party voters.
Fitzpatrick’s moderate reputation likely earns him a second look from Democrats, Chen said, but what converts those votes is name recognition and showing up in the community.
Though Democrats have criticized Fitzpatrick for not holding town halls, he’s known to pop up at local events, from kids’ art shows to a neighborhood contaminated by jet fuel. Federal funding is being sought now for alternative water sources.
The Harvie campaign’s internal poll may also show the value of name recognition: When voters are introduced to the candidates, including Harvie’s role as county commissioner and his platform for Congress, Harvie moves ahead of Fitzpatrick by a point.
Though that still leaves Harvie running 5 points behind a generic congressional Democratic candidate in CNN’s national poll, a spokesperson for his campaign was optimistic about the results.
“This poll shows that Bob Harvie will win in November,” the campaign spokesperson said.
Mike Johnson, Brian Fitzpatrick fundraise in Bucks County
Fitzpatrick attended a fundraiser at The Oak Room cigar lounge in Doylestown the evening of April 9, a fundraiser that drew several local Republicans and other donors.
Bucks County Courier Times reporting found that the Republican congressman then joined Johnson at an Upper Makefield home Friday morning. There were at least a dozen vehicles outside this residence after 11 a.m. April 10, parked along the road and behind the house.
Spokespeople for Johnson and Fitzpatrick would not confirm or deny the location of this meeting.
On Monday morning, Fitzpatrick’s campaign person sounded a note of confidence about the Bucks County congressman’s chances, citing both his successful fundraising and reputation.
“We are extremely well positioned,” Roberts said.
Jess Rohan can be reached at jrohan@usatodayco.com.