Democratic and Republican voters turned out across the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday to choose their candidates for big races in November.

While there were few contested primary races, Tuesday set the stage for one of the biggest contests in November, that between Democrat Bob Brooks and first-term Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in the Lehigh Valley congressional race.

Here are some key takeaways from the primary elections.

Progressive candidates victorious in key races

Democrats in the Lehigh Valley chose candidates backed by progressive groups in races across the ballot.

Allentown City Council member Ce-Ce Gerlach ran in the 22nd state House primary as a progressive Democrat, with widespread support from left-leaning groups including the Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America. She declared victory around 10 p.m., with unofficial results showing her with a strong lead over incumbent Rep. Ana Tiburcio, who won a special election for the seat in February with backing from the county and state Democratic parties.

Voters also favored Mark Pinsley in the Democratic primary for the 16th state Senate district. The progressive Democrat and Lehigh County controller led teacher Bradley Merkl-Gump in votes in the race to face incumbent Republican Sen. Jarrett Coleman in November.

In the biggest race of the night, voters also backed Bob Brooks in the 7th Congressional District primary. Brooks, who will take on Republican incumbent Ryan Mackenzie in November, entered the race with a wide array of support, from moderate Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro to progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Speaking of Brooks …

Nothing could stop Bob Brooks

In a crowded Democratic primary, the former Bethlehem firefighter emerged as a clear favorite. In addition to support from Shapiro and other prominent Democrats, Brooks had a formidable fundraising machine backing his campaign.

“Bob did run a good campaign,” said former Northampton County Lamont G. McClure in his concession speech. “Politics isn’t fair. You work with what you have. And he did it brilliantly.”

Both McClure and Ryan Crosswell threw their support behind Brooks. Carol Obando-Derstine did not deliver a concession speech, and said she would take some time with her supporters before contacting Brooks.

Voter turnout on par with past primaries

While voter traffic at polls appeared slow throughout the day Thursday, voter turnout was actually on par with previous primary elections, according to unofficial results and state data.

As of 11 p.m., Northampton County was reporting turnout at 19.6 percent, and Lehigh County was reporting 16.9 percent. Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, so only registered Democrats and Republican can vote — leaving out the large segments of voters who are unaffiliated or registered with third parties.

That’s lower than the last mid-term elections, in 2022, when voter turnout in both counties was over 30%.

Voter turnout was 16.4 percent in Lehigh County and 17.9 percent in Northampton in the May 2025 primary election, in which municipal and school board races dominated.

Ballot problems didn’t seem to matter

Despite errors in about 4,000 mail ballots in Lehigh County, officials reported a smooth night for election results.

The only major issue Tuesday occurred in Catasauqua, after an “unknown explosive device” was thrown from a vehicle outside a polling place. Voting was briefly disrupted by the large police presence but continued, with voters being asked to enter the polling location at a different entrance.

Right into election season season

The last takeaway from Tuesday’s election is that election season is far from over.

Some of Brooks’ Democratic opponents were quick to back his campaign against Mackenzie.

“Mackenzie needs to go,” said McClure in his concession speech Tuesday night. “He absolutely needs to go. It doesn’t matter what the vehicle is to make that happen.”

Brooks also went on the offensive, calling Mackenzie a “career politician” out of touch with the Lehigh Valley’s working people.

“He has worked in Harrisburg, and he is working on Congress. He has never had a job outside politics, not a day in his life,” Brooks, who had earlier touted his own many jobs including bartender, dishwasher, and snowplow driver, said of Mackenzie.

Mackenzie’s campaign fired back, calling Brooks a “con-man” who was hand selected by the Democratic Party to run.

“These groups steamrolled local Democrats and hijacked the democratic process in order to nominate a corrupt political insider, a wealthy lobbyist with a vast stock portfolio, and someone who has a record of stealing from his own family,” said Mackenzie for Congress spokesman Arnaud Armstrong. “The establishment Democrat machine has done this for one reason: they know that Bob Brooks will follow orders from his political bosses, just like he did as a union boss. The people of the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos will reject this dumpster fire of a candidate.”