Progressive activist Steve Bacher will kick off his campaign to unseat Brian Fitzpatrick on Saturday at 10 a.m. at The Temperance House in Newtown, organizers announced Friday. He will face Rachel Reddick and a rumored third candidate in the Democratic Primary Election being held May 15.
Pennsylvania’s 8th congressional district includes Bucks County and part of Montgomery County, and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick has represented the district since 2017.
Bacher, 55, is former vice chair of the Newtown Democratic Club, and served on the Newtown Township Environmental Advisory Council, and co-founded Bucks Environmental Action, a county-wide coalition of environmental and social justice groups. A longtime Newtown resident, Bacher, his wife, and two children currently reside in Lower Makefield.
We caught up with the candidate on Friday, and asked why he’s about to enter the race for Congress.
“It’s a combination of the daily outrages from President Trump and the daily silence from Brian Fitzpatrick and the Republican Congress,” Bacher explained.
The candidate says he was alarmed by local reports of hate speech following Trump’s election.
“I went to Fitzpatrick’s website to see what he was saying about hate speech, and there was nothing regarding racist incidents in our district,” recalled Bacher. “He seems to avoid serious issues, and remain silent, and we need to speak out.”
Bacher’s extensive background in environmental issues is readily evident, and priorities if elected would include addressing climate change.