ALS Advocate Bellina Endorses Fitzpatrick Bid
Health-advocacy nonprofits in Pennsylvania should note that patient-led campaigns are now shaping the state's 1st District House race.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Philanthropy
Former Navy pilot Matt Bellina, who has battled ALS since 2014, publicly endorsed U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick's re-election campaign in a November 1, 2026 social media post. Fitzpatrick is running against Democrat Bob Harvie in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District.
Why it matters
The endorsement ties a patient-advocacy partnership to a competitive House race in Pennsylvania's 1st District, a dynamic that matters to operators tracking how medical-access policy and advocacy networks intersect with federal politics. Bellina wrote that his support rests on a personal friendship and his assessment of Fitzpatrick's character rather than on any stated policy position.
The endorsement was posted November 1, 2026, and the Right to Try Act, which Fitzpatrick co-sponsored, became law in May 2018 with bipartisan support. The source provides no vote totals, polling, or fundraising comparators for the race.
The players
Matt Bellina
Former Navy pilot and ALS patient who co-founded the Right to Try Act and co-leads the ALS.community platform with Fitzpatrick.
Brian Fitzpatrick
U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, co-sponsor of the Right to Try Act and co-chair of the ALS caucus.
Bob Harvie
Democratic candidate challenging Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District.
The details
Bellina, who co-founded the Right to Try Act, posted his endorsement after stepping back from social media use due to his device, typing the message character by character. Fitzpatrick co-chairs the ALS caucus and launched ALS.community with Bellina in June 2025. The post credits a personal friendship and Bellina's read of Fitzpatrick's character as the basis for the endorsement.
Timeline
2014: Bellina diagnosed with ALS.
May 2018: Right to Try Act becomes law.
June 2025: Fitzpatrick and Bellina launch ALS.community.
November 1, 2026: Bellina posts his endorsement on social media.
Market Landscape
The Right to Try Act, enacted in May 2018 with bipartisan support, created a federal pathway for patients with terminal illnesses to seek access to investigational treatments. Bellina's endorsement places a policy coalition built around that law into a competitive House contest in Pennsylvania's 1st District.
Operators in the health-advocacy and nonprofit sectors should note that patient-led campaigns can shape congressional coalitions on medical-access policy. Organizations that rely on federal medical-access frameworks should monitor how the 1st District race shapes the ALS caucus's future direction.
The takeaway
Patient advocates and the organizations that support them are increasingly visible in federal campaigns, which makes relationships with lawmakers a practical part of policy work. Operators in health-related philanthropy should track how the Right to Try Act's sponsors and the ALS caucus position themselves in the November 2026 contest.
Further reading
For related context on how advocacy partnerships like this one are funded and organized, see Philanthropy coverage across Pennsylvania.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Dailywire.
