Four swing House races in Pennsylvania loom large for both parties — and for 2028, too

2026 ElectionFour swing House races in Pennsylvania loom large for both parties — and for 2028, tooThe quartet of battleground races could play a big role in deciding the House majority in Washington, while Gov. Josh Shapiro is eager to play a ticket-leading role.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Rep. Rob Bresnahan, a Republican from Pennsylvania, is in a battleground race against Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti this fall.Adam Gray / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 20, 2026, 5:38 PM EDTBy Allan SmithControl of the House of Representatives could come down to four pivotal battleground races in Pennsylvania.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.With an increasingly limited map of competitive seats, both Democrats and Republicans are emphasizing the importance of these campaigns, which are about to see a flood of money and investment from both sides.Some of that has already started, including from Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is on a party-building kick while facing a re-election bid that, as of yet, is not expected to be particularly competitive. A potential 2028 presidential contender, Shapiro has emphasized these four races, making primary endorsements in each contest and signaling he will be deeply involved in them as November nears. Help the battleground Democrats win, and Shapiro will be able to tell Democratic presidential voters about how he helped the party re-take the House and defeat a broad spectrum of Republican House members. Fall short, and his political strength will come under further scrutiny.And there’s the Donald Trump factor, too. Pennsylvania — a state critical to his 2016 and 2024 presidential victories — is one of his most-trafficked campaign stops. Republican victories, including by one of his closest congressional allies, would bolster his own political strength amid what is shaping up as a difficult election cycle for the GOP. Unlike Shapiro,...