After securing the Democratic nomination for the third congressional district on May 19, State Rep. Chris Rabb (D-200) is poised to represent University City in the United States House of Representatives.
Rabb, who graduated Penn in 2006 with a master’s in organizational dynamics, entered the race as the underdog — originally polling behind Penn professor Ala Stanford and 1999 University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School graduate and state Sen. Sharif Street (D-3). With no Republican running for the seat, Rabb is likely to win the November general election.
At Penn’s on-campus voting locations, Rabb earned 63.9% of the vote, with Stanford trailing in second place.
On the campaign trail, Rabb advocated for several “Universal Basic Guarantees” in areas including Medicare for All, housing, income, childcare, food and water, and transit.
Rabb has also been vocal about the “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
The topic of Gaza — and the country’s relationship with Israel — was a major breaking point among the candidates, who otherwise hold similar views regarding health care and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An outspoken democratic socialist, Rabb had garnered major national endorsements from progressive Democrats, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), and Summer Lee (D-Pa.).
He was also favored by Pennsylvania state Sen. Nikil Saval (D-1) and 2013 Engineering graduate Rick Krajewski — local politicians who both represent University City — and The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board.
Rabb told The Daily Pennsylvanian at a “No Kings” rally in March that young voters, including college students, “can see themselves” in his campaign and “realize that their future is connected with someone who’s going to represent their interests,” not those “who cut the biggest checks.”
He criticized Penn for misusing its money at the Penn Democrats’ candidate forum and at a 2025 “Hands Off!” protest in Philadelphia.
At the forum, Rabb also said he would prioritize community safety and the “structural issues” that surround gun violence as a congressperson.
Toward the tail end of his campaign, voters received messages accusing Rabb of spreading conspiracy theories and maintaining extremist views. While the messages were anonymous — violating federal election rules — Philadelphia’s Democratic City Committee was discovered to be responsible.
The DCC publicly endorsed Street and, according to a spokesperson of his, was coordinating with his campaign, though his team did not control the DCC’s communications.
“There’s a reason for these rules — and unfortunately we’re not likely to know whom we can attribute these negative messages until after [the election], if at all,” Rabb told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday.
In February, Rabb signed a letter urging Penn to reach a contract with the University’s graduate worker union, Graduate Employees Together — University of Pennsylvania, before its strike deadline.
Pennsylvania’s 2026 general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, with voter registration closing on Oct. 19. Races for governor, lieutenant governor, Pennsylvania House, and Pennsylvania Senate District 8 will also be on the ballot.
“They told me this was impossible,” Rabb said from his election night party in Northwest Philadelphia. “That’s what they said. Well, I don’t know who they are, but I know who we are, and I’m looking at ‘We the People.’”
Staff reporter Luke Petersen covers national politics and can be reached at petersen@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies philosophy, politics, and economics. Follow him on X @LukePetersen06.
