Conservative Caroline Avery announces primary challenge to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick

A second candidate has emerged to challenge U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in the Republican primary for the 1st congressional district seat next year.

Conservative Republican and Bristol resident Caroline Avery announced on Thursday that she is challenging Fitzpatrick. Last week, America First Party candidate Bradley Lanning announced he, too, will enter the GOP primary against Fitzpatrick.

Avery filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in November, and formed the Committee to Elect Caroline Avery to Congress.

Avery, once involved in the equestrian industry as a horse trainer, retired in 2016 to become a personal buyer of fine antiques and art objects.

Avery, according to her campaign website, is challenging Fitzpatrick because he "ignores the Trump agenda, ignores the Constitution, votes with the anti-American Democrat members, and basically (doesn't represent) anybody or anything but himself" in Congress.

"Trump’s message of 'America First,' 'Making America Great Again,' and most importantly, respecting the interests of the little guy, the common man, blue and white collar workers, small businessmen and women, really resonated," Avery wrote on her site. "Having been a long time employee and then a successful employer, a wife and a homeowner, Trump’s message really hit home.

"On top of this, Trump's agenda actually respected the Constitution, unlike just about every other elected office holder."

This news organization was unsuccessful in immediately reaching Avery for comment Thursday.

Avery said on her website that her campaign will focus on "Pro-Freedom, Pro-America, Pro-Constitution."

While her campaign website didn't provide exact particulars, Avery made it clear where she stands on major conservative issues, such as immigration and the infringement on personal freedoms relative to pandemic-related mandates.

More on the GOP primary: America First Party candidate Bradley Lanning announces bid Congress, setting up GOP primary against Fitzpatrick

Avery said the country is "absolutely being invaded everyday" via the southern border, asserted that human trafficking is rampant, and that fentanyl and other drugs are freely flowing into the USA from Mexico.

Avery did say she "believes in and stands by" legal immigration.

Avery also said mandates and lockdowns "imposed by elected officials and unelected government bureaucrats in the face of a perceived medical threat" are unconstitutional and illegal.

"So-called emergency powers that have been assumed by federal, state, and local officials violate the letter and the spirit of the first ten amendments to our Constitution, otherwise know as the Bill of Rights," Avery said. "These are rights that are sacred to every American and anyone who violates them in the execution of their public service at a bare minimum should not be in office."

Avery criticized Fitzpatrick's bipartisan approach.

Analysis: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is proud of his bipartisan record, but does it leave him vulnerable in 2022?

"Brian hasn’t done a good job of representing us the last few years," Avery said. "In fact, he seems to have completely forgotten that he is supposed to represent us at all.

"Not so amazingly, Brian just joined 12 other turncoat Republicans to give Nancy Pelosi, the radical leftist leader of the House Democrats, a win she couldn't get from her own house members," Avery continued. "He voted with the radical Democrats to pass President Joe Biden's wildly inflationary, $1.2 trillion, budget busting so-called 'infrastructure bill.' Is that the kind of thing that we elected Brian to do?"

This news organization was unsuccessful in reaching Fitzpatrick or his campaign representatives for comment Thursday.

Fitzpatrick on infrastructure vote: 'Turning point for our country'

In addition to the Republican challenges, two Democrats so far have lined up for that party's primary this spring.

Military veterans Ashley Ehasz and Paul Fermo are set up to face each other on the Democrat side.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Conservative Republican Caroline Avery will primary Brian Fitzpatrick