Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District gathered Monday evening at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown to address key issues concerning everyday life in the Lehigh Valley.
The forum — hosted by progressive groups Working Families Power, POWER Action Fund, Make the Road Action, PA-7 United, Transit for All PA, and Lehigh Valley Stands Up — featured all seven Democrats running in the upcoming May primary: Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Aiden Gonzalez, Lamont G. McClure, Carol Obando-Derstine, Mark Pinsley and Lou Shupe. They weighed in on the economy, affordability, and the rising cost of living.
The seven are running for a chance to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in a race expected to be among the most competitive in the nation this fall.
Residents in attendance Monday were eager to know how the candidates would address rising costs for health care, housing, food, and fuel, while keeping corporate interests in check.
The evening opened with Rev. Gregory Edwards posing a series of rapid-fire questions. Candidates responded by raising colored cards to indicate “yes,” “no,” or that more information was needed. Audience members also held up cards to silently signal support.
Angela Madera of Allentown holds up a green card in favor of a response during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Ryan Crosswell, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Lamont McClure, a Democratic candidate, holds up a green card in favor of a question during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
A green card is held up in favor of a response during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
People arrive to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Aiden Gonzalez, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Rachel Cuevas of Alburtis listens during a forum to the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Dan Poresky of South Whitehall holds up a white card needing more explanation during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Lamont McClure, a Democratic candidate, prior to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Jendaliz Diaz-Espinal, 7, of Allentown listens during a forum to the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Lamont McClure, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Mark Pinsley, a Democratic candidate, prior to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Carol Obando-Derstine, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Ryan Crosswell, a Democratic candidate, prior to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Tinku Khanwalkar of Allentown listens during a forum to the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Aiden Gonzalez, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Carol Obando-Derstine, a Democratic candidate, prior to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Aiden Gonzalez and Bob Banks, both Democratic candidates, hold up green cards in favor of a question during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Cheryl Lutz, far right, of PA 7 United, helps Andrew Ricker and his wife Sharon Fehlinger-Ricker to register prior to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Mark Pinsley, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Lou Shupe, a Democratic candidate, speaks during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Democratic candidates; Aiden Gonzalez, Bob Banks, Carol Obando-Derstine, Lamont McClure, Lou Shupe, Mark Pinsley and Ryan Croswell prior to the start of a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
Bob Brooks, a Democratic candidate, prior to a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
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Angela Madera of Allentown holds up a green card in favor of a response during a forum for the Democratic candidates in the 7th district congressional race Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at Resurrected Life Church in Allentown. The town hall focused on economic, affordability and cost of living issues, and was hosted by a series of progressive groups. (Jane Therese/Special to The Morning Call)
The group shared support on just about all proposals: eliminating medical debt from credit reports, expanding the Child Tax Credit, increasing federal oversight of hospital mergers,recognizing collective bargaining as a fundamental right, establishing a minimum wage indexed to inflation, and offering federal assistance to first-time homebuyers.
But as the discussion went into open-ended questions, differences in strategy emerged.
On public transportation, candidates were asked how they would improve service in the Lehigh Valley, and if they would support Rep. Mike Johnson’s Stronger Communities Through Better Transit Act, which would establish a grant program to support public transit.
Gonzalez, vice president of Lehigh Valley Young Democrats and a Bethlehem resident, backed increased funding and proposed making public transportation free, arguing that eliminating fares would boost ridership, ease traffic and strengthen community ties. Brooks, a former Bethlehem firefighter and Pennsylvania Fire Fighters Association president, supported additional funding and exploring expanded rail service to New York and Philadelphia, a sentiment echoed by Shupe, an Allentown resident and retired IT professional.
Pinsley, Lehigh County controller, argued transit should be treated more like a utility, with funding directed not only toward capital projects but also operations.
“When you’re investing in transportation, a lot of times they’re only investing in capital goods … but they’re not investing in operations,” he said. “And we should be putting money in operations so that we can actually fund the transportation.”
Asked how the candidates would attract an immigrant workforce to the district in the current political climate, several candidates called for revamping or eliminating Immigration andCustoms Enforcement.
Crosswell, a former federal prosecutor, said ICE must be reined in, recounting the story of a citizen who carried documentation everywhere out of fear of deportation.
Gonzalez said he would eliminate ICE and instead focus on Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Naturalization Services, separating criminal enforcement from legalimmigration.
Obando-Derstine, who immigrated to the country as a child, emphasized building local resources and supporting immigration that is “legal, effective, and humane,” adding, “cruelty is the point right now.”
McClure referenced the recent purchase of a Berks County warehouse for use as an ICE detention center and urged municipalities to change zoning laws to prevent large-scale detention facilities.
“Zoning is controlled at the local level,” the former Northampton County executive said. “I call on all municipalities throughout PA-7 to rewrite their zoning laws to forbid the warehousing of human beings in 250,000-square-foot-and-greater warehouses.”
As for budget priorities, most candidates said they would reduce federal spending on ICE and some international affairs, shifting resources to domestic needs.
Pinsley proposed taxing wealth rather than income to broaden the tax base and offset costs for low- and middle-income families.
Gonzalez called for greater investment in health care, child care and housing. Obando-Derstine, a former PPL executive, supported raising the federal minimum wage, expanding middle-class tax cuts, and broadening access to programs like WIC and the Housing Choice Voucher program.
McClure criticized President Donald Trump’s tariffs, arguing Congress should reclaim authority over their implementation.
“That will help us get our economy back on track,” he said. He also pledged to reinstate Affordable Care Act subsidies.
When asked how to ensure residents can afford winter heating costs, Shupe and Gonzalez called for expanding LIHEAP, which helps low-income families pay for their heating bills.
Pinsley connected the issue to the growing energy demands of data centers, arguing these facilities should be held accountable for their electricity use.
“One data center would use all of the electricity that all of the residents in Lehigh County use. That’s 155,000 homes,” he said, adding that companies should be responsible for their own energy procurement and environmental cleanup.
Brooks proposed federal regulation of utility profit margins and the elimination of junk fees. Crosswell advocated reinstating renewable energy tax credits and promoting innovation, while Gonzalez called for modernizing energy infrastructure and increasing federal oversight.
Obando-Derstine pushed for renewed incentives for wind and solar power and exploration of alternatives such as methane digesters and green hydrogen.
Tax reform drew broad consensus that loopholes benefiting the ultra-wealthy should be closed and new cuts should be directed toward the middle class.
McClure said taxes on multimillionaires and billionaires “must go up so we can restore the social safety net that they have gutted.”
Brooks criticized corporate tax cuts enacted under Trump and suggested eliminating the cap on taxing Social Security income to extend the program’s solvency.
“Trump cut corporate tax rates in half, made all these tax cuts permanent, but ours — the minimum ones that they gave us that really don’t mean a whole lot, like overtime and tips — those got cut off in 2028. Those are done,” he said, adding the cap on taxing Social Security could be eliminated, which could in turn help fund the program “for another 100 years.”
Pinsley proposed a $45,000 minimum salary and reiterated his call to tax wealth rather than income.
Gonzalez endorsed a progressive tax structure, saying with a broader tax base, “we can lower the taxes on middle and lower class individuals, because it’s being made up by corporations that are posting these major profits.”
Lastly, candidates were asked if housing was a human right — all agreed — and what they would do to increase affordable housing in the district.
Obando-Destine called for modernizing programs to better reach the lowest-income residents, pointing to HUD’s Choice Neighborhoods initiative as an example.
Crosswell supported the ROAD to Housing Act and redeveloping abandoned commercial properties into housing to preserve green space. Shupe proposed promoting tiny homes as a more accessible housing option.
McClure argued that eliminating tariffs on building materials and incentivizing developers would increase supply and reduce costs.
“And if we do those two things, increase supply for everyone throughout the housing market and build more affordable housing, we can get this crisis under control,” he said.
Gonzalez supported funding affordable construction and buyer credits, but added it was necessary to “strike at the heart of the problem and add an aggressive tax to corporate landlords who buy up all of these properties and rent them out to you exorbitant prices.”
Brooks advocated cutting “red tape” in zoning and permitting and expanding the HELPER Act, which assists teachers, law enforcement, firefighters and EMS personnel with homeownership — to all citizens.
Pinsley closed by tying together tying together the economy, affordability, and the rising costs of living together.
“The first thing for affordable housing: increase minimum wage. The second thing is, sure, let’s build some supply,” he said. “But the third thing is making sure that private equity can’t buy those homes, because they are also creating a supply problem that doesn’t really exist.”
Brian Myszkowski is a freelance writer.