Early voting is already underway, but as Election Day on Nov. 3 approaches, residents across Butler County will weigh in on three U.S. Congressional races.

District 16

U.S. Congressional District 16 extends into five counties, including all, most or part of Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Lawrence and (western) Butler counties.

Incumbent Mike Kelly, a Republican and Butler resident, has served in Congress since 2011. Kelly formerly served in the 3rd District before statewide redistricting in 2019.

Kelly has served on the Committee on Ways and Means since 2017. Kelly also had been working with Cleveland-Cliffs, owners of AK Steel and the Trump administration to address the threat of unfair trade practices.

The cooperation resulted in an investigation launched in May by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Kelly is also a business owner of multiple car dealerships under the Kelly Automotive brand, many of which are in Butler County.

Challenger Kristy Gnibus, a Democrat and Erie County resident, is a mother of two, teacher and community leader. She said she heavily relies on the values instilled in her by her mother, who was a U.S. Navy veteran and U.S. postal worker.

Gnibus also is a survivor of ovarian cancer, which showed her firsthand the flaws of today's health care system.

In addition to health care, Gnibus also has a focus on education, job creation and criminal justice reform.

District 15

U.S. Congressional District 15 extends into 14 counties, including all, most or part of Armstrong, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, Warren and (eastern) Butler counties.

Incumbent Glenn “G.T.” Thompson, a Republican and Centre County resident, has served in Congress since 2009. Thompson formerly served in the 5th District before statewide redistricting in 2019.

Thompson serves on both the Agriculture Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee, having done so since 2011.

According to his campaign page, he has a strong focus on job growth, fiscal conservatism and energy security.

In December 2019, Thompson voted against a resolution that called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Challenger Robert Williams, a Democrat and Indiana County resident, is a former California resident who moved to be closer to his family.

According to his campaign website, he pursued a career as an EMT and later became an instructor of continued education programs in the field.

Williams has a focus on affordable health care, infrastructure and veteran assistance. He also has plans to address the issue of human trafficking through additional training and education for investigative agencies as well as advocacy for the victims.

District 17

U.S. Congressional District 17 extends into five counties, including all, most or part of Allegheny, Beaver and (the southwest corner of) Butler counties.

Incumbent Conor Lamb, a Democrat and Allegheny County resident, has served in Congress since 2018, and he is serving on both the Veterans Affairs Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

A former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and former federal prosecutor, Lamb won a special election in March 2018 as well as re-election to his current term.

Lamb continues to focus on the issues of protecting Social Security and Medicare, affordable health care and infrastructure.

Lamb spoke at this year's Democratic National Convention.

Challenger Sean Parnell, a Republican and Allegheny County resident, is a former Army Ranger, and he is a New York Times best-selling author for his book “Outlaw Platoon.”

Parnell is the co-founder of the American Warrior Initiative, an organization that benefits veterans.

In addition to veteran services, Parnell is focused on protecting the Second Amendment, stopping illegal immigration, and supporting law enforcement. He strongly opposes abortion and other stances on the left.