Pennsylvania election result: Key seat flipped in battleground state as Democrat Bob Brooks beats US Representative Ryan Mackenzie

Democrats have gained another foothold in their battle to reclaim control of the US Congress, with Bob Brooks defeating Republican Representative Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania, flipping a seat in a key presidential battleground state.

Brooks, president of a Pennsylvania firefighters union, defeated Mackenzie in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to US media reports.

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The result marks a setback for Republicans in their attempt to defend their narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

The Pennsylvania contest was among four Republican-held congressional districts in the state that Democrats had targeted for potential gains.

The seat was considered particularly significant because President Donald Trump had carried Mackenzie's district by 3 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.

According to an AP report, this particular contest was one of the more closely watched House races in Pennsylvania, where Democrats were seeking to capitalise on the political climate and challenge Republican incumbents who had won their seats in 2024.

Brooks's victory adds to the Democratic Party's efforts to reverse Republican control of the House, with the party needing a net gain of four seats nationally to secure a majority.

The outcome in Pennsylvania could play a key role in the fight over congressional control amid Democratic effort to turn voter dissatisfaction with the Trump administration into electoral gains across traditionally competitive districts.