ELECTION 2024 Dziados projected to win Democratic primary in 14th, face Reschenthaler for U.S. House seat; Joyce, Farnham turn focus to fall

Apr. 24—SOMERSET, Pa. — United High School graduate and Army combat veteran Chris Dziados was the projected Democratic Party primary winner in the commonwealth's 14th Congressional District, which includes almost all of Somerset County and part of Westmoreland County.

The Associated Press called the race around 11 p.m. Tuesday when Dziados unofficially had 27,574 votes, compared to 25,656 for his opponent, Ken Bach, with 95.5% reporting, according to information posted on the Pennsylvania Department of State's website.

"Right now, I just want to make sure all votes are counted, but I'm cautiously optimistic," Dziados, who now lives in Washington County, said during a telephone interview. "Obviously, I have a lead, but I want to make sure all votes are counted. ... With that being said, hard work got us here. I think we did a lot of coalition-building. I've got a good campaign team around me."

Dziados is projected to face Chief Deputy Whip U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Washington, in the general election for a seat that also covers all of Fayette, Washington and Greene counties, along with portions of Indiana County.

Reschenthaler, now in his third term, was unopposed in the Republican primary. He previously spent time in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps in Iraq.

A staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party's presumptive nominee this year, he recently introduced a bill to change the name of Washington Dulles International Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport.

"I am grateful to the voters of Pennsylvania's 14th congressional district for electing me as their Republican nominee for Congress," Reschenthaler said in a released statement. "The general election begins now, where Pennsylvania will play a key role in maintaining and expanding our conservative majority in the House of Representatives and sending President Trump back to the White House.

"I will work tirelessly to earn the support of voters in southwestern Pennsylvania in November and help elect conservatives up and down the ballot."

Meanwhile, in the 13th Congressional District that includes all of Cambria County and a tiny bit of Somerset County, U.S. Rep. Dr. John Joyce, R-Blair, and Adams County Democrat Beth Farnham won unopposed primaries.

"I'm here to fight for our democracy, and to defend public education, and to (bring) into law our reproductive freedom, gun safety, immigration reform and universal health care," Farnham said Tuesday outside the polling place at Christ Centered Community Church in Johnstown's Kernville section.

"There are a lot of serious issues on the table that we have to address in Congress. These are very grave issues. These are issues that relate to our constitutional values."

Joyce spoke about a different "resonating message" he received from voters.

"What I'm hearing from constituents is protect our border; stop (President Joe) Biden's economics and stand up to the worldwide image that we don't have strength in the United States; that we have a leader who does not represent what we feel is important, that is not fighting the fentanyl that comes in from China that's killing our children, that does not have the ability to represent the values that we hold in central Pennsylvania and in western Pennsylvania," Joyce said in a stop at the polling place at Young Peoples Community Center in Ebensburg.

Joyce said there is a "clear-cut choice" between Biden and Trump.

"I think that message is going to be loud and clear that we need President Trump back in the Oval Office," Joyce said.

While Joyce mentioned Trump potentially returning to the White House, Farnham alluded to the fact the former president currently faces 91 felony charges spread throughout four court cases.

"We want to unseat people like my opponent, Rep. John Joyce, who supports former president and accused criminal Donald J. Trump," Farnham said.