Who is running in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District race?

ALLENTOWN, PA. - Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, anchored in the industrial and suburban landscape of the Lehigh Valley, stands as one of the most fiercely contested battlegrounds in the country.

The district takes in all of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties plus a slice of Monroe County, with Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton at its core. Its working-class swing electorate has a long tradition of close, highly competitive elections.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the winner serves a two-year term representing roughly 790,000 residents—drafting federal legislation, voting on national budgets and providing essential constituent services across the region.

Seeking to hold the seat for a second term is freshman Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie, who faces a challenge from Democratic nominee Bob Brooks, a local labor leader and president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association.

The incumbent: Ryan Mackenzie (R)

Local perspective:

Before winning his congressional seat in 2024, Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie spent 12 years in the state Legislature in Harrisburg, representing parts of Berks and Lehigh counties, according to state House records.

During his time in state and federal office, Mackenzie has leaned heavily into conservative economic development, workforce training initiatives and supply-chain independence.

His legislative platform highlights strengthening domestic manufacturing, reining in federal spending and addressing inflation to lower everyday living costs for working families in the Lehigh Valley.

In Washington, Mackenzie positions himself as a pragmatic conservative focused on regional growth, infrastructure improvements and assisting local constituents with federal agencies like Veterans Affairs and Social Security.

The challenger: Bob Brooks (D)

Local perspective:

Democrat Bob Brooks, a retired 20-year Bethlehem firefighter who now serves as statewide president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association, enters the race with deep regional roots in public service and labor organization, according to his campaign website.

Brooks won a multi-candidate Democratic primary campaigning on labor rights, workplace protections, health care access and housing affordability. His campaign focuses on appealing to working-class families across the district by framing key policy debates around everyday economic security.

Highlighting his experience outside partisan politics in his platform, Brooks presents himself as an advocate for working families, emphasizing investments in local infrastructure, protection of social safety net programs and initiatives to lower everyday household costs. 

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