Progressive Democrat Enters, Leaves Congressional Race

A Middletown Township man who recently entered the First Congressional District Democratic primary left the race this week.

Eric Bruno, a Democrat who lives in Middletown Township’s Levittown section, was running on a platform he called “common-sense progressive policies.”

The candidate said on Monday evening he was suspending his bid for Congress “indefinitely” because his campaign director was leaving for another job.

“Subsequently, that meant I had to find a new campaign manager and after multiple interviews and offers, I was unable to find anyone to replace her. Being this late in the campaign season it seems that all of the campaign staff that I would need to complete my journey are unavailable. Though I may have the correct politics, I and my remaining campaign staff do not have the skills to pull off a successful campaign season. So after a long discussion with my remaining team we decided we could not, in good conscience, continue to fundraise and take people’s hard earned money when we are this inexperienced,” Bruno wrote in an email to supporters.

Federal election records showed Bruno registered his campaign last week.

Bruno indicated in his email announcing his campaign suspension that he will run for office again in the future. He vowed to announce earlier and be better prepared.

Bruno worked as an auto mechanic before he was laid off during the Great Recession. He then found work in finance and worked his way up to a large Wall Street firm, working with very wealthy clients.

As someone who grew up in a middle-class family, his work gave him an inside view of life for the very wealthy and cemented his ideas on how to make tax laws more fair and close loopholes. He supported Medicare for all, wanted to improve policing, secure democracy, and support investment in a green economy.

“I just never lost my blue collar roots, and I just enjoy working to help people,” he said in a recent interview. “I’m still that same person who wants to be a positive force in the world”

Bensalem Township U.S. Army veteran Ashley Ehasz and Lower Makefield Township U.S. Navy veteran Paul Fermo are running in the Democratic 2022 primary.

For the Republican primary, Bristol Township resident Caroline Avery and Upper Bucks County resident Bradley Lanning are running against incumbent Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. Delaware County Republican Dasha Pruett has said she may move to the area to run in the First Congressional District, which makes up all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County.