Mike Fitzpatrick is generally popular in Bucks County.

He’s won four of his five PA-8 contests and is well-known throughout the district.

In fact, the Fitzpatrick name is so golden in the area that the GOP abandoned State Rep. Scott Petri in order to back Mike’s younger brother Brian. The goal is that residents will implicitly trust the Republican nominee as a result (and perhaps some low-information voters even confuse him for his brother).

So in order to flip this seat, Democrats have to disconnect the two Fitzpatricks in voters minds.

It doesn’t get more explicit than the DCCC’s latest print ad, which states “Brian Fitzpatrick ≠ Mike Fitzpatrick”. This spot recently ran in the Courier-Times, Bucks County’s largest newspaper.

“Brian Fitzpatrick’s main campaign strategy seems to crossing his fingers and hoping that voters don’t notice the difference between him and his brother, and this ad makes clear why his cynical plot won’t work,” Jermaine House of the DCCC stated. “Given that Brian Fitzpatrick has announced his support of Donald Trump, he will have to stop ducking questions and answer for Trump’s reckless and offensive statements.”

“Brian Fitzpatrick’s impressive resume of battling political corruption and global terrorism during his FBI career speaks for itself,” NRCC spokesman Chris Pack responded. “This is nothing more than an attempt by the DCCC to distract from Steve Santarsiero’s do-nothing record of never having a single bill signed into law despite being a Harrisburg politician for over 7 years. It’s the same Steve Santarsiero who recently missed votes to fund Pennsylvania’s public schools and universities because he was down in Washington meeting with Nancy Pelosi’s campaign team.”

The 8th Congressional District represents all of Bucks County as well as parts of upper Montgomery County.