Five weeks after announcing his bid for Pennsylvania 17th Congressional District in Pittsburgh suburbs, Democrat Chris Deluzio has raised over $255,000, his campaign announced on Oct. 5.
Initially announcing his bid on Aug. 23, Deluzio, a policy director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security, received donations from 650 individuals who contributed to his 2022 race.
“I am grateful for the overwhelming support we have received since launching and proud of shattering our fundraising projections this quarter,” said Deluzio in a statement. “This early outpouring of support shows that Western Pennsylvanians want a representative who will fight for working families, not special interests. I intend to do just that, and we are just getting started.”
Deluzio is the first candidate to declare for Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District. It’s still unclear exactly what the 17th Congressional District will look like, as Pennsylvania is set to lose a congressional seat this year, and the districts have not been drawn yet. If the district remains similar in shape, it will likely be a swing district with both Democrats and Republicans having a good chance to win.
The $255,000 fundraising haul occurred over 44 days. Other swing districts have also attracted large sums of funds. In the first quarter of 2021, U.S. Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) took in $959,000 and U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) raised $570,000.
Before coming to Pitt, Deluzio worked on the Brennan Center for Justice’s voting rights and election security teams. He said his work focused on protecting democracy and the right to vote. Deluzio’s goals involve protecting Social Security and veterans benefits, improving health care, cultivating union power, and investing in infrastructure.
In an interview with The Pitt News, Deluzio said the most powerful and wealthiest corporations affect the lives of everyone in Pennsylvania and aim to challenge them to ensure the government is working towards the people rather than big corporations.
A Navy veteran, Deluzio completing active-duty in Iraq after the 9/11 attacks. He obtained his law degree from Georgetown University. He said his service helped shape his character and his ambition to run for office.
“I was shaped profoundly by my time in uniform, what it meant to serve others, and learn pretty quickly the power of solidarity,” Deluzio said to Pitt News. “We don’t leave people behind, regardless of race, or class, or who they love, what they look like, where they’re from, it doesn’t matter. I look around, though, and I see way too many people being left behind.”
U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Mt. Lebanon), the incumbent, is vacating the seat, and is currently running for U.S. Senate. The elections for the 17th Congressional District will occur in 2022.
Chris Deluzio announces $255K in campaign donations for suburban Pittsburgh race
