Chris Rabb has been projected to win the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ, securing his place on the ballot for the November general election.
Rabb defeated State Senator Shariff Street and pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford in a competitive primary contest covering parts of West and North Philadelphia.
A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, the 56-year-old has served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 200th District since 2017.
Before his time in state politics, Rabb worked as an aide to former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun and also participated in the Clinton administration’s 1995 White House Conference on Small Business.
He will now represent the Democratic Party in a heavily Democratic district currently held by retiring Congressman Dwight Evans.
Evans, 72, announced last year that he would not seek re-election following health concerns, including a stroke. He has represented the district since 2016 after serving more than three decades in the Pennsylvania House.
The district has long been considered safely Democratic, with Evans previously winning unopposed in general elections and securing overwhelming margins in past contests. In 2024, the area voted heavily in favour of former Vice President Kamala Harris.
With no Republican candidate currently in the race, Rabb is widely viewed as the frontrunner heading into the general election.
The primary drew high-profile endorsements across the Democratic spectrum. Progressive leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, and the Working Families Party backed Rabb. Ocasio-Cortez also campaigned for him in Philadelphia, describing him as “unbought and unbossed.”
State Senator Shariff Street, son of former Philadelphia Mayor John Street and a former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, entered the race shortly after Evans announced his retirement.
He received endorsements from several prominent Democrats, including Senator Cory Booker, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, and Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton.
Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon and founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, also contested the primary with the backing of outgoing Rep. Dwight Evans.
Campaign finance reports showed significant fundraising across the race, with Rabb, Street, and Stanford each raising substantial sums ahead of the primary, reflecting the competitive nature of the Democratic contest despite the district’s strong partisan lean.
