Harvie Rally Stresses Turnout As Race Narrows

Supporters gathered in Lions Park on Sunday as Bob Harvie campaigned in Bristol, nine days before voters decide the contest for the district's congressional seat. A poll discussed at the event showed Harvie up by two points. Attendees said the closeness of the race means turnout will decide the outcome.

The rally took place during the Bristol Stroll on Mill Street, where vendors and crowds filled the area under clear skies. Singer-songwriter Don McCloskey, who is Harvie's second cousin, performed at the gazebo and helped organize the event. He opened with "First in Flight" and "Son of It All," a song about growing up in a working-class Bristol, and closed his first set with Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."

Bucks County Prothonotary Donna Petrecco, who has known Harvie for nearly 20 years, spoke about his record as a teacher, a Falls Township supervisor and a Bucks County commissioner. "I can tell you firsthand that Bob is the real deal," she said. "He is decent and committed to helping people." She told the crowd to call five frustrated friends and ask them to vote.

Sheriff Danny Ceisler addressed two paid operatives connected to the Fitzpatrick campaign who were present at the rally. One was placing Brian Fitzpatrick signs around the event; the other, paid $5,000 a month to track Harvie's movements, recorded the crowd with a GoPro camera mounted on a selfie stick. Ceisler deputized the attendees jokingly and told them not to engage with the operatives, saying the priority is getting out the vote.

Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis Marseglia also spoke, and McCloskey introduced his cousin before Harvie took the stage. Harvie argued that his opponent lacks a comparable record of service and has avoided direct contact with constituents. He said the district is ready for a change after 10 years.

Harvie also contrasted his campaign with Fitzpatrick's, saying Fitzpatrick relies on large donors rather than grassroots rallies. He told the crowd that a small rally matters as much as a large one because every vote counts. McCloskey then debuted "Vote for Bob," a call-and-response song he performed with the crowd, and the rally ended as attendees headed back toward Mill Street.