Chris Rabb Will Be a Transformative Member of the House |
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Chris Rabb Will Be a Transformative Member of the House
A candidate from Philadelphia, running in America’s 250th year, has a plan to restore checks and balances on kingly presidents and renew the constitutional authority of Congress.
Chris Rabb speaks outside of the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on February 5, 2025.
Donald Trump’s particular brand of imperialism, which has broken old alliances and unleashed new chaos around the world, is not merely the manifestation of one man’s hubris. It is the result of a disregard for the US Constitution by the elected representatives who should be its stewards. Of all the failures of Congress – and they are many – none is more consequential than the choice of the leaders of both parties, over successive presidencies, to surrender the authority the Constitution gives legislators in the House and Senate to decide whether the United States goes to war.
Chris Rabb knows this, and he incorporates this knowledge into a worldview, and a platform, that makes him one of the most compelling candidates for Congress in 2026. The boldly progressive Pennsylvania state representative is mounting a primary campaign for an open seat representing much of Philadelphia – the place where the framers of the US Constitution outlined a system of checks and balances with a strong Congress and a constrained executive branch at its heart.
Unlike most candidates—be they Democrats or Republicans—Rabb recognizes the vital importance of renewing the promise of an American experiment that has been derailed not just by Trump but by spineless members of what is supposed to be the people’s house. He speaks about the need to address “the devastation of our collapsing democracy” with sweeping reforms that address both a failed presidency and a system that has failed to deliver for the people of Philadelphia.
The winner of the May 19 Democratic primary in what is often referred to as “the bluest district in America” will almost certainly go to Congress. And if Rabb prevails, he will enter the House as an engaged and experienced progressive with a vision for renewing the intended role of Congress as a counterweight to the warmaking of increasingly imperial presidents. With a clarity that is........