BEAVER FALLS, Pennsylvania — The battles this year for two U.S. House seats currently held by incumbent Democrats in Western Pennsylvania will be big telltales for the direction of American politics. Rep. Summer Lee’s (D-PA) seat in Pittsburgh will test the durability of the progressive Left in a primary in May. The result this fall in Rep. Chris Deluzio’s (D-PA) suburban district will be an indicator of which party can win battleground districts.

First-termer Lee is facing challenger Bhavini Patel in her Democratic primary for the 12th Congressional District. Both women released fundraising numbers last week, with Patel raising over $300,000 —impressive numbers for a challenger — and Lee raking in a cool $1 million in the last quarter of 2023.