After his victory in a Democratic primary that paves the way to send him to Congress, state Rep. Chris Rabb credited grassroots organizing for his win and said he will be a “bonus rep” for people across he country.
“I am going to be the bonus rep of a lot of people who do not feel seen or heard in electoral politics or governance,” Rabb said Thursday in an interview with NBC10’s Lauren Mayk.
Rabb won the primary Tuesday with a double-digit margin that, he said, surprised him.
“It was a resounding victory and it pushed back against a lot of the narratives of where my support came from,” Rabb said. “My support was as diverse as the district.”
Rabb, who identified as a Democratic Socialist and who was endorsed by the Working Families Party and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said he encountered voters during the campaign who inquired about a candidate who won a Pennsylvania race in 2022 but has since faced heavy criticism among Democrats.
“So many people came up to me and said ‘how do I know you’re not going to be the next Fetterman?’” Rabb said, referring to Sen. John Fetterman.
Rabb said he told voters: “He had tweets, I have receipts,” pointing to his record serving in the state House.
Rabb beat a field of three other candidates including Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street, who was backed by the mayor and Philadelphia Democratic Party, and Dr. Ala Stanford, who was supported by the district’s incumbent Rep. Dwight Evans and gained prominence for her work during the pandemic.
Rabb said he has heard from Street, who he described as gracious, and said he looks forward to “continue working with him as I have for the past 10 years in the state legislature.”
Rabb also said he spoke with Governor Josh Shapiro, who did not endorse in the race.
“We had a long talk and I look forward to working with him,” said Rabb, who also said he would be supporting Shapiro’s re-election bid, calling Shapiro’s opponent “extremist.”
You can watch the interview with Rep. Chris Rabb on a new episode of Battleground Politics with Lauren Mayk available here.