Matthew J. Brouillette: One Trump-y Democrat could help far-left Philly progressives keep the Pa. House

Voters in rural Cambria County, Pennsylvania are big Trump fans. In 2020, the county voted more than 60% for Trump over Joe Biden, even as Trump narrowly lost the state.

Yet, at the state level, Cambria County voters for fifteen years have elected Democrat Frank Burns to the Pennsylvania House, believing that he holds the same traditional values as they do, despite the “D” after his name. 

It’s understandable, given that Burns pretends to be of the same grain as Donald Trump and his local supporters, even running what the liberal Philadelphia Inquirer is calling “a Trump-style campaign” for re-election this year in his hotly contested seat. 

But behind the façade, Burns is a willing cog in the progressive Left’s efforts to take Pennsylvania down a path of economic failure, lost opportunity, and population decline. 

That’s why he’s become an unfortunate necessity for Philadelphia’s progressive Democrats. A “necessity” because they desperately need his re-election in order to retain their one-seat majority in the chamber, which they won in 2022. “Unfortunate” because Democrats are being forced to spend millions of dollars in a local race in hopes of re-electing a candidate who is trying his best to sound like their archnemesis, Donald Trump. 

But little do most voters know that if they re-elect Burns, they’re re-electing the enabler of the far-left’s broader agenda that’s being driven not by the rural voters Burns represents but rather by Philadelphia progressives who want to Defund the Police, open our borders, and continue the Biden legacy of unaffordable living. 

You see, while playing pro-Trump at home, Burns voted lockstep with Democrats to elect progressive Philly state Rep. Joanna McClinton as House Speaker. With McClinton guiding the chamber’s agenda, Burns voted for the most expensive state budget in history, voted to lay the groundwork for a $2000-per-family tax hike. And he even voted with radical Philadelphia progressives to advance legislation that would make it easier for politicians to pardon murderers, rapists, and child molesters. 

But if you look at his campaign ads, you’d never know. Instead, you’d see him leaning into a fake Trump persona, even though the former president has actually endorsed his opponent, Republican Amy Bradley, in the race. 

Yet, so desperate are Democrats to keep their razor-thin House majority, that they’ll look the other way on any Trumpism just to make sure Burns keeps his seat—and progressives keep his vote. 

This race has already broken campaign spending records, with Burns spending more than $4 million in television advertising alone, not counting mail or any other campaign expenses. Bradley and her allies (including a connected political action committee of Commonwealth Partners) have spent less than half that amount. 

This isn’t the first time Burns has faced a re-election challenge. And he’s come out on top every time by pretending he represents his district’s values and even casting a few votes that help him maintain the persona. 

Yet, Cambria County has been trending more Republican in the past few years. According to Pa. Department of State voter registration data, analyzed by WESA in Pittsburgh, in 2014 registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans by more than 20,000. As of September of this year, the tables had turned, and Republicans outnumbered Democrats by nearly 14,000. 

Trump will win Cambria County on November 5 — and by a lot.  That’s not in question. But what is in question is will voters re-elect a politician who tries to sound like Trump while voting with far-left Philly progressives?  Or will they elect the candidate who is actually endorsed by Trump and, in so doing, deprive the far-left not only of a vote for their agenda but potentially of their entire House majority? 

A lot is riding on Cambria County this year. Hopefully they choose well. 

Matthew J. Brouillette is president and CEO of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs, an independent, nonpartisan, 501(c)(6) membership organization dedicated to improving the economic environment and educational opportunities in Pennsylvania.

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One thought on “Matthew J. Brouillette: One Trump-y Democrat could help far-left Philly progressives keep the Pa. House”

  1. Good questions. Here’s two more: 1. numerous states are discovering fraudulent voter registrations for various reasons – one being those that automatically registered people to vote when they obtain or renew a driver’s license in the state – to date how many has PA discovered? 2. How many fraudulent votes would impact this specific election – in other words what is the margin for error (intentional or otherwise?)
    I ask because since 2016, Oregon has automatically registered people to vote when they obtain or renew a driver’s license in the state, so long as they present proof of citizenship. PA does the same thing EXCEPT doesn’t require people to present proof of citizenship. Oregon has discovered 1,259 people had been registered to vote in error since early 2021, after presenting a foreign birth certificate or passport while obtaining a driver’s license. Mass mail-in ballots are not normal.
    https://www.opb.org/article/2024/09/27/oregon-voter-registration-error-non-citizens-voting/

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