Former firefighter and union leader Bob Brooks defeated three other Democratic challengers Tuesday to advance to November’s general election, in which he will take on freshman Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) in Pennsylvania‘s 7th Congressional District, one of the swingiest in the state.
Brooks beat rivals Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure, and Carol Obando-Derstine.
With roughly 74% of votes counted, Brooks bested his opponents with about 41.4% of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
Mackenzie ran unopposed.
Brooks, who received the coveted blessing from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which provided a significant boost to his campaign, racked up endorsements from Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), former Transportation Secretary and one-time presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), among others.
Brooks centered his campaign on his working-class background, arguing that Washington is dominated by elites and needs more representatives who understand everyday financial struggles. His message has been rooted in pushing back against the influence of wealthy donors and large corporations.
Without a college degree, Brooks often pointed to his own life story to make that case. He has spoken about growing up in a household that relied on food assistance, facing the threat of bankruptcy due to medical bills, and taking on a range of jobs, from tending bar to driving plows to working as a firefighter, to make ends meet.
That pitch comes as Democrats work to regain ground with working-class voters, a group that has increasingly shifted toward President Donald Trump over the past decade. Brooks contends his personal experience gives him a unique ability to reconnect with those voters and win them back.
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James Christopher, founding and managing editor of New York-based James Christopher Communications, told the Washington Examiner he believes the 7th District is the one “most likely to flip” to Democrats’ favor.
“The Lehigh Valley has become one of the most politically elastic regions in the country because voters there tend to respond less to ideology and more to perceived economic competence,” Christopher said. “It contains a blend of union households, rapidly diversifying suburbs, and working-class independents who are highly sensitive to inflation, healthcare costs, and wage stagnation. If Democrats frame the race around affordability and local economic stewardship, rather than a broad ideological conflict, they have a real opportunity there.”
