Ashley Ehasz, a former Army pilot and graduate of the U.S.Military Academy at West Point,announced her candidacy Tuesday morning for Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, a seat currently held by Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
The election isn't until 2022, but the campaigning has already begun.
Ehasz, who now lives in Bensalem,will run as a Democrat, and will likely face a primary challenge,but she is the first of her party to throw her hat in the ring in what is sure to be a hotly contested race as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committeehas already targeted the seat as a primary focus to flip next year.
"I'm announcing right now because here in Bucks County we aren’t getting the representation we deserve," Ehasz said, adding that she decided to run because she is "sick of seeing politics as usual solve nothing" in Washington. "Families here in Bucks County need help, we need housing that’s affordable, better health care, and jobs that actually pay well.
"In every part of the county, people are fed up with Washington," Ehasz continued."Growing up struggling in the area and serving my country in combat has prepared me to bring a new type of leadership and perspective to Washington that’s clearly missing."
She announced her bid in video Tuesday morning saying she entered the race because she is angry that the American Dream is still out of reach for too many families and politicians have done little to help.She opens the video saying if anyone told her at 8, while growing up with a "struggling mother" and using water in her cereal, she would grow up to fly Apaches she would tell them to "F--- off."
Ehasz defended heruse of blunt talk, and believes voters will appreciate her direct approach.
"The idea that I'd have the opportunity to serve my country as a pilot was so far from where I thought I'd be in life as a kid and I wanted to emphasize that," Ehasz said. "Watching my parents struggle with money and unstable careers, and moving from house to house,even the idea of a permanent place to live seemed so out of reach.
"I think too many kids and families out there feel the same way about their futures, feel the same frustration, and would use even harsher words for that than I did."
As the immediate focus is on next month's elections, and her potential race for office is over a year away, Ehasz said she has visited many Bucks County communities as sort of a listening tour. And many of the issues she has heard about hit close to home.
"What I’m hearing out there is a lot of support for the idea that together we can build a stronger country focused on recovering from the multiple crises facing our country," Ehasz said, "such as the pandemic and the very real threat to a woman’s right to choose, and rise above politics to fight for a stronger country.
She is a political newcomer and has never held elected office in the district or Pennsylvania. The district includes all of Bucks County and a sliver of Montgomery County, and has become more purple in its political leanings in recent years.
There were 474,627total voters in Bucks County as of Oct. 4. Of that number, 202,751are Democrats and192,369are Republicans. An additional55,511 registered voters have no affiliation and23,996 areIndependent.
Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican from Middletown, was first elected in 2016 and plansto seek re-election. Ehasz, if the candidate come November's 2022 election, will have to overcome his name recognition, ability to fundraise and Fitzpatrick's brand of bipartisan politics that have served him well here.
Ehasz enters the campaign with a strong military history, but largely unknown to district voters. She flew anAH-64D Apache Longbow while enlisted, andpiloted missions in the Middle East with the1-501st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion stationedin Fort Bliss, Texas.
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Ehasz' military career includescommand of two troops with the 1st Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment in Fort Riley, Kansas.
Ehasz has served as a platoon leader, battalion logistics officer and pilot–in–command, deployedto Kuwait under Operation Spartan Shield, and to Camp Taji, Iraq, with Operation Inherent Resolve.
From there, Ehasz graduated from University of Oxford in July 2020 with a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies.
Most recently, Ehasz served as a COVID-19 policy writer and CARES Act project coordinator for Marion County, Florida.
Ehasz grew up in Pennsylvania, and is a graduate ofPen Argyl High School, located in Pen Argyl, a borough in Northampton County. Ehasz currently resides in Bensalem.
"I’ve spent my life fighting for this country," she said in the news release announcing her candidacy, "and I’m running for Congress because I know that together,we can build a country that works for all of us.”
