Brooks won in a contested Democratic primary to face freshman Rep. Mackenzie in November’s general election.
With 40% of the vote, Bob Brooks has defeated Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure, and Carol Obando-Derstine in the Democratic primary election for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.
Brooks will face off against incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in November. Mackenzie is currently serving his first term in the House.
Recently, Brooks came under fire for resurfaced social media posts that supported conservative ideals.
Brooks is the president of the Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association. He was endorsed by Governor Josh Shapiro.
“Bob Brooks is the fighter the Lehigh Valley needs — and we’re going to send him to Congress to deliver for our families and put a check on the corruption in DC,” Shapiro wrote online in support of Brooks.
Brooks retired after 20 years as a firefighter in Bethlehem. He has experience as an advocate for the Fire Fighters Association.
“Some of the talk is that I don’t have legislative experience when I actually have, probably, the most,” Brooks said in an interview.
Brooks prevailed over former prosecutor Ryan Croswell, attorney Lamont McClure, and former U.S. Senate staffer Carol Obando-Derstine.
Congressman Mackenzie recently discussed his plans for the race.
“Not only talking about the results that we’ve been able to deliver in the first year-and-a-half, but also our positive vision to help bring about affordability, keep our community safe and ultimately keep our community safe as well,” said Congressman Mackenzie.
The Federal Election Commission has reported that there have been more than $3 million in total campaign contributions for the race.
Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District is among the most competitive battlegrounds in the country for 2026.
National Democrats are targeting the seat as one of the most important to flip in November. In 2024, former Democratic Rep. Susan Wild narrowly lost the seat to Mackenzie.
