Rep. Dan Meuser projected to win 9th Congressional District race
Matthew TothRepublicans will keep the Pennsylvania 9th Congressional District seat for another two years as U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser is projected by NBC News and AP to win re-election for a fifth term in the U.S. Congress.
The incumbent congressman held a sizable lead against Democratic candidate Rachel Wallace, gaining 163,850 votes to her 99,924 with 95% of the votes counted by Wednesday, Nov. 4. The district includes all of Lebanon, Bradford, Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties as well as parts of Berks, Luzerne and Lycoming counties.
In a statement to the Lebanon Daily News Tuesday evening, Meuser said he felt deeply grateful for the "overwhelming support of the people of Pennsylvania's Ninth District" and the trust they have placed in him to continue for a fifth term.
"Once again, voters in the 9th Congressional District have rejected the failed ideology of authoritarian socialism and reaffirmed the values Americans have spent 250 years defending: freedom, opportunity, and the promise of the American Dream," he said. "To everyone across the Ninth District, thank you for your confidence. I will continue to fight for you with courage and conviction, and work every day to continue to earn the trust you have placed in me. It is a privilege to serve you. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."
In an interview Aug. 30 with the Lebanon Daily News, Meuser said that his message to voters is that he, along with other members in Congress and the Trump Administration, are doing their best to make the country's national security, border security, economy, affordability and quality of life better for residents.
"These are the things we are working on, and I know President (Donald) Trump personally, and that's what's in his heart and his mind, to strengthen America for all Americans as possible," he said.
The congressman has said on this campaign website that he plans to continue working with the Trump administration on issues including the economy, national security and energy dominance.
During his Oct. 20 debate with Wallace, Meuser took time to defend the One Big Beautiful Bill, including limiting taxes on tips and overtime. The congressman claimed that under Biden, gasoline was over $5, but agreed that gas prices need to come down, with ideas including opening up Alaska to build pipelines and developing more fossil fuel programs.
The congressman also admitted on the debate stage that the war "has not gone as planned," but added that the goal is still "very virtuous."
"The Iran war is not about energy," he said. "Obviously … it's about not allowing a terrorist regime, the worst nation on the face of the Earth, that has created all kinds of terrorist activities and has murdered Americans for the last 47 years, to keep them from getting a nuclear bomb."
Meuser also gave his support for the SAVE Act, or the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which the GOP-led House has said would prevent noncitizens from voting. He also defended policies by the GOP and the Trump administration, saying they have secured the border.
Wallace, a Pottsville native, worked for former U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, and was chief of staff to Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young during the Biden administration. She campaigned on lowering health care and household costs, bringing federal money to local projects, giving more local control to data center construction, and voting to end the war in Iraq.
"Tonight, the voters of PA-09 made their decision," she wrote to her supporters on Facebook. "While we didn’t get the results we hoped for, I’m still so damn proud of this campaign. I'm proud of the work we've started, the people we've brought together and all that we've done."
Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at [email protected] or on X at @DAMattToth.