Fitzpatrick says he would drop GOP label if not for Pennsylvania’s closed primary system

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said he would drop his GOP party label and register as an independent if Pennsylvania were not a closed primary state.

“I registered Republican when I was 18 because I liked Reagan, I still like Reagan,” Fitzpatrick said in an interview with Punchbowl News. “I’ve, over the years, even before I got here, have sort of rejected the two-party system. I really don’t believe in it. I think it’s so incredibly divisive.”

Since 2017, Fitzpatrick has represented the Keystone State’s 1st District, one of the most competitive swing districts in the state. Though President Donald Trump won the district’s Bucks County in 2024, the suburban Philadelphia county had been blue in almost every presidential election over the past few decades.

The four-term congressman, who is up for reelection in November, told Punchbowl News that he is not an independent because Pennsylvania has a closed primary system. When asked