Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) said he would leave the Republican Party and become an independent if Pennsylvania had an open primary, citing the state’s closed primary system as the reason he has not done so.
The Pennsylvania congressman made the remarks during a Fly Out Day conversation with Punchbowl News, when he was asked directly, “Why don’t you just become an Independent?” Fitzpatrick replied, “Because I live in a closed primary state.” When asked a follow-up — “Would you if you didn’t?” — he answered, “100% … 100%.”
In November 2025, Fitzpatrick publicly called on President Donald Trump to sideline senior adviser Steve Witkoff and instead elevate Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations. The statement followed a leak of a transcript of a call between Russian officials and Witkoff. The episode drew scrutiny over Fitzpatrick’s relationship with Jacqui Heinrich, his fiancée, as Fox News had previously stated
Continue reading
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!