HARRISBURG — Democrat Bob Brooks has defeated Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the race just before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The 7th Congressional District covers Lehigh and Northampton Counties, including Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, as well as all of Carbon County and part of Monroe County. Of the nearly 547,000 registered voters in the district, about 42% are Democrats, 38% are Republicans, and 21% are unaffiliated, according to state data.
Mackenzie, who was a member of the state House from 2012 until he was elected to Congress, sought a second term. His “12 Priorities to Help You” included tax relief, healthcare, housing, and immigration reform, as well as banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
Mackenzie, who in 2024 flipped the seat that Democrat Susan Wild had held for three terms, voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” co-sponsored a bill to ban members of Congress from trading stocks, and voted in favor of reinstating enhanced Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies.
He faced Brooks, president of the Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association. Brooks’ “Put the Fire Out in Washington” platform included healthcare reform, tax increases for the “ultra-wealthy,” raising the minimum wage, lowering housing and childcare costs, and protecting reproductive rights.
The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from “toss-up” to “lean Democrat” in early October.