DJOP endorses Ashley Ehasz for Congress in PA’s 1st District

Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania (DJOP) today announced its endorsement of Ashley Ehasz for the U.S. House of Representatives in the state’s 1st Congressional district, which covers Bucks County and a small portion of Montgomery County.
Jill Zipin, Chair of the DJOP, called Ehasz “a superbly qualified candidate.” Ehasz is the only Democrat on the ballot for the May 17 primary election.
“We proudly endorse Ashley Ehasz because she has an amazing life story,” Zipin said. “She has served our nation, and she will represent the interests of all of the voters of Pennsylvania’s 1st District.”
After securing an age waiver, Ehasz joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17. She went on to study at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
As the only woman in her Apache helicopter class, Ehasz, a resident of Bensalem, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Aviation branch. She served as a platoon leader and later as battalion logistics officer and pilot-in-command, deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. She also served as a company Commander for two years.
Zipin said that Ehasz has been endorsed by VoteVets, the largest organization in the country that advocates for the well-being of veterans and their families.
Following her time in the military, Ehasz pursued a graduate degree at the University of Oxford and then assisted local governments in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In her campaign she is relating well to working class families in her district,” Zipin said. “She comes from a family that has had financial and mental health challenges. Understanding what it is like to deal with high educational costs, low wages, and skyrocketing health care expenses is not just philosophical for her. It is personal.”
Martin Raffel, DJOP’s only board member who resides in Bucks County, notes how well Ehasz connects with voters.
“The younger generation sees Ashly Ehasz as a breath of fresh air,” Raffel said. “And with the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe V. Wade, Ashley’s unequivocal support for reproductive freedom resonates especially well with the district’s women voters.”
Ehasz’s likely opponent in the November general election is incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
“While Fitzpatrick touts his independence and bipartisanship,” Zipin said, “the truth is that on crucial votes he sticks with his Republican herd.”
Fitzpatrick voted twice against impeaching former President Trump. He also voted against establishment of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 violent attempted coup in the nation’s capital and the committee’s bid to hold accountable the persons responsible for the attack on democracy that day.
“We need a leader from PA 1 who will stand up for American democracy and our constitution,” Zipin asserted. “