Who's In the Race

Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) faces Democrat Ray Bilger in the November 3 general election in Pennsylvania's 15th District. ​

Thompson has represented the district since 2020, having previously served Pennsylvania's 5th District from 2009 to 2019, and chairs the House Agriculture Committee.

Bilger is a retired intelligence professional who served as an airborne cryptologic linguist in the Air Force during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, then spent 35 years in security and intelligence roles with the Air Force, the National Security Agency and the State Department, including a stint as NSA Technical Director for Cyber Analysis from 2015 to 2017.

Both candidates ran unopposed in the May 19 primary.

What They Stand For

Thompson has called a long-term Farm Bill a priority to provide "stability and an affordable food supply for consumers," according to the Centre Daily Times voters guide. He's also supported:

  • Rural development and expanding broadband and cell-phone coverage to sustain rural Pennsylvania, according to his official House website;
  • Increased access, affordability and patient choice in healthcare, with telemedicine improving rural access;
  • Using technology and innovation to reduce healthcare costs while preserving community hospitals; and
  • Combining U.S. strength with diplomacy and alliances to maintain international stability, while weighing military commitments carefully.

Bilger has proposed that Congress reclaim its budgetary role and tariff authority to address affordability, according to the Centre Daily Times voters guide. He's also supported:

  • Patient-centered, affordable healthcare, particularly in rural communities, according to his campaign website;
  • Agricultural right-to-repair legislation and crop insurance, with Congress reclaiming tariff decisions so farmers are not burdened by trade disputes;
  • Stronger oversight of energy producers and bringing clean-energy jobs to the district; and
  • Securing the border alongside workable legal immigration pathways, shorter backlogs and independent accountability for immigration-enforcement agents.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid Republican as of Oct. 9; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Solid Republican as of Oct. 11; and Inside Elections rated it Solid Republican as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Republicans, whose nominee is Thompson, a 97.2% chance of winning as of Oct. 15; Democrats, whose nominee is Bilger, stood at 2.8%.

The district's recent history reinforces that picture. Thompson won the 2022 race with about 70% of the vote and the 2024 race with about 71%. His vote share grew about 1.5 percentage points between those two cycles. Thompson's 2024 district share ran roughly 21 percentage points ahead of Donald Trump's Pennsylvania statewide total of about 50%.

Republicans hold 10 of Pennsylvania's 17 U.S. House seats after the 2024 cycle, up from eight in 2022, a net gain of two seats. Trump carried Pennsylvania in the 2024 presidential race with about 50% of the vote.

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