Bob Brooks, a firefighters union boss backed by a coalition spanning from Gov. Josh Shapiro to Sen. Bernie Sanders, was projected to win the Democratic nomination Tuesday evening in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, setting up a critical rematch in one of the nation's most narrowly divided swing congressional districts.
The contested primary featured Brooks prevailing over former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, and EMILY's List-endorsed candidate Carol Obando-Derstine, who was seen as the preferred pick of the district's last Democratic representative, former Rep. Susan Wild of Allentown.
Broad Coalition Behind Labor Candidate
Brooks assembled a diverse coalition of support that included endorsements from Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and top state Democrats, including House Majority Leader Matt Bradford of Skippack and Sen. Vincent Hughes of Northwest Philadelphia. He also earned the endorsement of the mayor of Allentown, the area's largest city and the third-largest city in the commonwealth. McClure, the only current local officeholder in the race, did not immediately gain traction against Brooks.
The union leader appeared to weather intraparty controversy after old social media posts resurfaced, including one using an off-color sexual term to describe former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick for criticizing law enforcement during the BLM era.
Crosswell was born in nearby Schuylkill County but for many years worked in Washington for the Justice Department. He was one of several prosecutors who resigned in protest of the Trump administration dropping a federal probe into former New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams has since become less critical of the right and has often dinged his successor, Zohran Mamdani, on social media.
A District in Transition
The district's tri-city hub of Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, known locally as "A.B.E." or "The Valley," has a blue-collar history that has at times entered the national consciousness through Billy Joel's famous anthem about Bethlehem Steel and other firms "closing all the factories down," while the now-blighted SteelStacks often serve as both a backdrop for what once was and a rallying call for politicians pushing what comes next.
That "next" has included a wave of new warehouses and firms dedicated to interstate commerce, along with growth tied to the tech sector. Farmland in the northern part of the district is gradually being developed into homes and warehouses, to the chagrin of many longtime residents, as an influx of people from higher-tax New Jersey and New York, along with the area's changing socioeconomic makeup, brings more liberal and progressive voters into a once "Reagan Democrat"-style region rooted in agriculture and union labor.
The district's current boundaries still reflect that contrast, as the farther north one travels, the more rural, agrarian or forested and conservative the area becomes. Wild drew criticism twice for appearing to insult the Trump-supporting swath of Carbon County, the only one of the district's three counties entirely within the 7th Congressional District to vote for Mackenzie in 2024.
High Stakes Rematch Ahead
The Republican in the race, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie of Lower Macungie, was a state representative in western Lehigh County for many years before upsetting Wild by one percentage point in 2024. Mackenzie has since drawn praise from President Donald Trump and criticism from the left, whose protesters often gather outside his office and spill onto busy Cedar Crest Boulevard in southwest Allentown. As the House GOP's narrow majority hangs in the balance, it remains to be seen which side is energized enough to turn out for its candidate in a race the nation will be watching closely.
Why This Matters:
This primary result in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District represents a test of whether working-class organizing and broad progressive coalitions can reclaim ground in swing districts where economic transformation has left communities grappling with the costs of deindustrialization and rapid development. The district's evolution from manufacturing hub to warehouse corridor reflects broader questions about whose interests shape economic policy and whether new jobs provide the security and dignity that union manufacturing once offered. With the House GOP's narrow majority potentially hinging on this seat, the race will measure whether voters in transitioning communities prioritize labor protections and democratic accountability or embrace the Republican agenda that has drawn protests outside Mackenzie's office. The outcome could signal whether Democrats can rebuild the coalition of working families and diverse communities needed to govern.