Tight race heats up in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- Election Day is two and a half months away, and a local race is heating up.

Democrat Steve Santarsiero and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick are vying to become the next U.S. Representative for the 8th Congressional district.

Fitzpatrick, a retired FBI agent, is a political newcomer, but he has pedigree.

He is the hand-picked choice of the GOP bosses in Bucks County and is the younger brother of incumbent 8th District Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, who is stepping aside to honor a self-imposed term limit pledge.

Santarsiero, Fitzpatrick's Democratic opponent, is a four-term state representative.

The former history teacher says he fought to reform Harrisburg and is ready to take on the big sharks in Washington.

The 8th Congressional district is a traditional bell-weather in presidential election years.

It includes all of Bucks County and parts of eastern Montgomery County.

The registration split is nearly equally between Democrats and Republicans, and the congressional seat has changed hands and parties many times across the years.

But at the top of the ticket this year, two controversial figures loom large and heavy: Hillary Clinton and of course Donald Trump.

Insider polls so far show the battle for the 8th will be a close one.

It will get lots of national attention, as a measure of the Trump impact on the down-ballot races.