2026 Midterms · U.S. House · Pennsylvania Safe
Pennsylvania — 9th District
Democratic
Rachel Wallace
Republican
Dan Meuser
Incumbent
The 2026 general election for Pennsylvania's 9th Congressional District features four-term Republican incumbent Dan Meuser against Democratic challenger Rachel Wallace. The contest hinges on economic policy, health care access, border security, energy production, and government accountability. Major election handicappers—including The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill—rate the race as Solid or Safe Republican.
Healthcare
high salienceWallace advocates expanding health protections, capping executive pay, and ending prior authorization, while Meuser voted for Republican budget reconciliation packages that opponents claim jeopardize local health coverage.
Rachel Wallace
Supports health reform and rural hospital protection
Wallace advocates fixing health care in the district by protecting rural hospitals and curbing health insurance company practices. She supports eliminating prior authorization requirements and capping the portion of insurance premiums that can be used for corporate executive salaries.
- Fix coverage losses affecting nearly 30,000 district residents due to congressional votes
- Save rural hospitals in Pennsylvania
- End prior authorization practices by health insurance companies
- Cap the amount of insurance premiums allocated to executive salaries
“Rachel is running to fix our health care. Nearly 30,000 people in our part of Pennsylvania will lose their health insurance because of Dan Meuser's votes.”
“Rachel will fight to fix the damage done by Dan, save our rural hospitals; end the practice of prior authorization, which lets insurance companies off the hook for covering services they promise to cover; and cap the amount of insurance premiums that can go to insurance company salaries.”
Dan Meuser
Voted for Republican fiscal reconciliation packages
Meuser voted for major House budget reconciliation and spending packages that reform federal healthcare spending. While he has not documented a detailed standalone health platform in campaign materials, his record reflects support for conservative fiscal reforms.
- Voted Yea on H.R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025) budget reconciliation legislation
- Voted Yea on the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023
Economy & Cost of Living
high salienceMeuser emphasizes supply-side growth, Federal Reserve reforms, and tax cuts, whereas Wallace focuses on direct price reduction for groceries, housing, and electricity alongside wage growth.
Rachel Wallace
Supports lowering costs and raising wages
Wallace focuses on reducing daily costs for Pennsylvania families across housing, electricity, and groceries. She emphasizes raising local wages and spurring job creation.
- Lower essential household costs including electricity, housing, and groceries
- Focus policy efforts on raising wages for regional workers
- Promote local job creation and economic growth
“Rachel is focused on lowering the cost of living for families here in Pennsylvania, from electricy prices to housing to groceries.”
“During that same time, Pennsylvania families watched their wages suffer.”
Dan Meuser
Supports supply-side growth and tax cuts
Meuser favors supply-side economic growth, lower interest rates, Federal Reserve balance sheet tightening, and tax relief to lower inflation. He criticizes the Biden-Harris administration for steep cost increases on consumers.
- Signed Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge
- Voted Yea on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024
- Advocates supply-side policies and lower interest rates to curb inflation
- Voted Yea on FY 2025 congressional budget reconciliation instructions
“Under Biden-Harris Everything is Up 20%”
“I remain optimistic that we can advance these priorities through supply side growth paired with lower interest rates.”
Government Integrity & Election Security
medium salienceWallace emphasizes combating corruption and personal enrichment by politicians, while Meuser focuses on requiring voter proof of citizenship and implementing term limits.
Rachel Wallace
Supports ethics reforms and local focus
Wallace advocates rooting out corruption and fraud while overcoming political division to address community problems. She targets Meuser's wealth accumulation during his tenure as evidence of out-of-touch leadership.
- Root out government corruption and fraud
- Highlight Meuser's net worth growth from $35.57 million in 2019 to $69.05 million in 2025
- Prioritize nonpartisan, local problem-solving over partisan division
“Dan Meuser forgot about us and our Pennsylvania values. I never will.”
“People are tired of the toxicity and division - they want leaders who can get things done.”
Dan Meuser
Supports proof of citizenship voting laws
Meuser supports strict voter registration requirements to preserve election integrity and signed a congressional term limits pledge. He voted against certifying Pennsylvania's 2020 electoral votes in January 2021.
- Voted Yea on the SAVE Act (H.R. 22) requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections
- Voted against certifying Pennsylvania's electoral votes on January 6-7, 2021
- Signed the U.S. Term Limits candidate pledge
“The public overwhelmingly supports this legislation, and it is vital for ensuring free and fair elections.”
Energy & Infrastructure
medium salienceMeuser advocates expanding fossil fuel extraction and repealing clean energy subsidies, whereas Wallace focuses on lowering electricity costs and making infrastructure investments.
Rachel Wallace
Supports reducing energy costs and investing in infrastructure
Wallace includes electricity costs, infrastructure, and data centers among her core policy passions, emphasizing utility cost reductions for district residents.
- Focuses on reducing household electricity bills
- Lists infrastructure and data center regulation among top policy passions
“Rachel is focused on lowering the cost of living for families here in Pennsylvania, from electricy prices to housing to groceries.”
Dan Meuser
Supports domestic fossil fuel expansion
Meuser favors expanding domestic oil, natural gas, and coal production while curtailing federal permitting restrictions. He opposes green energy tax credits and executive restrictions on energy production.
- Voted Yea on the Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1 in 2023)
- Voted Yea on the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 to repeal green energy tax credits
- Opposes Biden-Harris policies restricting domestic energy jobs
“Harris Will Cost Us Jobs”
Immigration & Border Security
high salienceMeuser favors strict enforcement, expanded detention, and mandatory deportations for noncitizens accused of crimes, whereas Wallace has no documented immigration position in the provided sources.
Dan Meuser
Supports strict border enforcement and deportations
Meuser advocates for strict enforcement of federal border security laws, enhanced mandatory detention, and expanded deportation grounds. He voted for flagship House border bills and supported the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- Voted Yea on the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2)
- Voted Yea on the Laken Riley Act (S. 5) mandating detention of noncitizens arrested for theft or burglary
- Voted Yea on the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025 (H.R. 875)
- Voted Yea to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
“Harris' Border Disaster”
Financial Fraud & Consumer Protection
medium salienceMeuser champions legislative and oversight initiatives against organized financial fraud, while Wallace has not outlined a specific financial scam policy platform.
Dan Meuser
Supports legislation targeting criminal scam networks
Meuser leads committee investigations into transnational financial fraud and elder scam networks. He authored the SCAM Act and created a online reporting tool for constituents.
- Introduced the SCAM Act to hold bad actors and scam networks accountable
- Co-led a yearlong Financial Services Committee inquiry into Chinese-linked scam operations
- Created meuser.house.gov/scams to assist constituents in detecting and reporting financial fraud
“Financial fraud has become a booming criminal business, and Americans are the primary target.”
“The report concludes with solutions to fight back, including my legislation, the SCAM Act, and other bills that hold bad actors accountable and coordinate agencies to stop scams before they start.”